Tipi Introduction

Jessica Wesaquate and Andrea Rogers

"Tawow...Welcome" The video clips are a demonstration of a tipi raising done with a group of grade five and six students.  Elder Glen Anaquod facilitated the tipi raising and shared with the students the traditional Saulteaux teachings that he was taught surrounding the tipi and ways of life.

Using the tipi to teach mathematics is a great opportunity to integrate other subjects such as Social Studies, Language Arts, and Arts Education.  Seek community resources to bring an Elder into the classroom to share with the students about the tipi teachings of the First Nations groups in your area.  Remember to follow traditional protocol.

Class Idea: Contact your community resource person in your school or your local school board to organize a tipi raising with your class.  This will be a good way to have the traditional knowledge behind the tipi taught before incorporating tipi mathematics into the classroom.

Some curriculum connections | Source: Saskatchewan Evergreen Curriculum
Grade One-Three –	Social Studies – Heritage – Family & local community
Grade One –	Social Studies – Heritage – Families in the Past
Grade One Sample Unit –	All About Me – What Makes me Special
Grade One-Five –	Mathematics - Measurement
Grade Two/Three/Four/Six –	Arts Education – Visual Art
Grade Four –	Social studies – Heritage (Saskatchewan’s First Peoples)
Grade Six/Seven –	Mathematics - Measurement – Geometry
Grade Seven –	Science – Structure and Design