Smudging is a “sacred ceremony to most First Nations” (Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia) and Métis Nation (Fiola, 2015). Smudging is a significant aspect of Indigenous culture across Turtle Island, connecting people to “spirit and to the creator” using the “sacred medicines sage, sweetgrass, cedar, and tobacco” (

Smudging is a “sacred ceremony to most First Nations” (Indigenous Saskatchewan Encyclopedia) and Métis Nation (Fiola, 2015). Smudging is a significant aspect of Indigenous culture across Turtle Island, connecting people to “spirit and to the creator” using the “sacred medicines sage, sweetgrass, cedar, and tobacco” (

A Canoe Family is like a team, made up of “pullers (paddlers), support crew, and oftentimes Elders and family” from a specific First Nation or Tribe (Chinooknation.org). Julian Brave Noisecat explains that “the traditional oceangoing canoe ...

Relationality is a foundational concept of Indigenous knowledge and philosophy.

Land-based pedagogy is rooted in a “respect-based worldview of the land” (Land as Teacher, UNESCO). Danielle Cherpako explains that “land-based learning typically uses an Indigenized and environmentally focused approach to education by first recognizing the deep, physical, mental, and spiritual connection to the land that is part of Indigenous cultures” (

Each First Nations community has its own cultural rituals and practices, so it is important to remember while there may be crossover and similarities between nations, there is no singular or pan-Indigenous cultural experience or identity. In many Indigenous communities, however, “water is considered sacred” and is treated as “more than a resource” because it is a “way of life and a crucial aspect of their cultural identity” (Native Women’s Association of Canada). The “inter

The Jig known as the “Métis Jig” is said to have begun in “the mid-1800's” in the Red River area and is “a combination of First Nations dance, Scottish dances, and French-Canadian character dances, as well as the reel, jig, and square sets (Canadian quadrilles)” accompanied by fiddle music (Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF)). The jig is a form of “step dancing” which is taught in Métis communities at young ages through participation, such as by watching and dancing with family members and fr

The term “Coast Salish” originally came into use to describe the peoples using the two dozen Salishan languages (Burke Musuem). It is used to refer to First Nations communities along the BC southern coast, Vancouver Island, Washington State, and Oregon (Kennedy and Bouchard, 2019).

Cedar is often “considered the most sacred of all evergreens” (Wish-Key).