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Unit 2 · 6 lessons

Oral Traditions and Storytelling

How First Nations, Métis and Inuit oral traditions carry history, law and relationships, how to listen to them on their own terms, how structure and figures carry a worldview, and how to speak respectfully and effectively yourself.

  • 52 practice questions
  • 49 flashcards
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Lessons

  1. 1Forms of the Oral TraditionThe kinds of oral text kept by First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, what those texts carry — history, law, values and relationships — the features you can hear in them, and how they are used in communities today.8 questions
  2. 2Culturally Appropriate ListeningWhy listening to an oral tradition comes with responsibilities, the protocols of permission, context, ownership, season and acknowledgement, and the active-listening strategies that help you understand a spoken text.8 questions
  3. 3Talking Circles, Discussion and Respectful DialogueHow talking circles work and why their shape matters, the seminar moves that turn a group conversation into shared thinking — building on, questioning and disagreeing respectfully — how to discuss painful topics without harm, and how to assess your own contributions honestly.10 questions
  4. 4Story Structure and WorldviewHow the shape of a story carries a way of seeing the world: linear Western plot compared with cyclical and episodic structures, the role of humour, and the trickster and transformer figures who belong to particular nations.8 questions
  5. 5Analysing Speeches and OratoryHow to analyze a speech as a crafted text: speaker, occasion, audience and purpose; the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, logos and kairos; tone and delivery; applied to Chief Dan George's 'A Lament for Confederation' (1967), Autumn Peltier's water advocacy at the United Nations, and Governor General Mary Simon's installation address (2021).10 questions
  6. 6Speaking to CommunicateUsing your voice with purpose and respect: storytelling performance, presentations and podcasts, writing a land acknowledgement that means something, and reflecting honestly on your speaking strengths and next steps.8 questions