On Friday we were treated to 2 special presentations! First, Dallas Yellowfly came to our class to tell us a story of "How Raven Stole the Sun." Dallas is a member of the Blackfoot First Nations, which is a tribe that originally came from the area around Calgary.
Story telling is a very important part of the First Nation's heritage. Many stories are passed down from generation to generation. He began by choosing some actors to help him tell the story. First he
chose a raven, and then a beautiful princess and finally a chief.
Our actors!
The raven was loud and proud
.When Dallas talked about the chief, he explained how the chief wore the symbol of an animal to show respect for that animal. It also meant that this chief was the leader of the salmon. The chief was a mean, angry and greedy person who carried his special box with him wherever he went. Inside the box were the chief's treasures.
Dallas showed the princess how to walk with swagger and wave to all the people.
Dallas also showed us the drum that he had made and painted himself. The First Nations people believe that drums are alive because they are made from buffalo hide which stretches and shrinks depending on the temperature in the room.
In the end, the raven was clever and stole the box, returning the sun
back to its position in the sky. Well done, actors! We were all truly
engaged, and Dallas was a wonderful, funny storyteller!
The actors did a fabulous job helping Dallas tell the story.
At the end of the story, Dallas shared that all First Nation's stories have a message or moral and that the moral of this story was not to take more than you need. He also taught us how to say thank you in his native language. You hold your palms towards you and then pull them gently towards you three or four times.
After recess, we enjoyed a visit from a First Nations artist and a
dancing group called the North Star Dancers. They wore button blankets
and cedar hats, and sang, danced and drummed for us.
National Aboriginal Day is on June 21 this year. What do you know about Aboriginal culture?
.When Dallas talked about the chief, he explained how the chief wore the symbol of an animal to show respect for that animal. It also meant that this chief was the leader of the salmon. The chief was a mean, angry and greedy person who carried his special box with him wherever he went. Inside the box were the chief's treasures.
Dallas also showed us the drum that he had made and painted himself. The First Nations people believe that drums are alive because they are made from buffalo hide which stretches and shrinks depending on the temperature in the room. 
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