Skip to main content

Featured

Nature Study: Wild Turkeys in North America

When most people hear the word turkey, they immediately think of Thanksgiving dinners and hearty autumn feasts. But long before the turkey became a holiday centerpiece, the wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) roamed the forests, grasslands, and swamps of North America, admired for its intelligence, adaptability, and impressive beauty. 'Tom' Wild Turkey in Ontario A Native Icon Wild turkeys are native to North America and have been here for millions of years. Indigenous peoples not only hunted them for food but also honored them in stories, art, and ceremonies. For generations, Indigenous peoples in what is now Canada recognized the wild turkey as a vital part of the ecosystem, valuing it for its meat, feathers, and deep connection to the rhythms of the land. Where They Live Today, wild turkeys can be found across much of the United States, parts of Canada, and northern Mexico. They thrive in forests with open clearings, hardwood stands, pine woods, swamps, and even suburban areas...

I Live In Canada...Canada Day 2021 Reflections

A picture of 3 First Nations children in traditional dress
Photo Credit: Harvard Political Review 


I live in Canada...where are you from? What a question! I’ve asked it so many times during the videos I’ve shared over on the Tot Tutor channel but today this question has been cause for pause. Canada Day hit differently for many Canadians this year, following the grizzly discoveries of mass indigenous child burial grounds. 

Canada Day will never be the same again and maybe that's what's best. 

Many Canadians spent much of the day mourning and talking about the people who were here before us and the descendants who have been traumatized by the genocide.

I took time to learn about the Métis, the Inuk, the Mississaugas and the Three Fires Confederacy and others who stewarded the  land in days gone by and grieved at the historic mistreatment of the First Nations here and everywhere. 

Unfortunately this is a shared history in the Americas, Caribbean and elsewhere in the world and we need to make sure our young ones know the complete story of those who first inhabited these lands, their relationship to the land and how they took care of it.

We can also talk about big topics like friendship, broken promises, treaties and reconciliation.

Teaching accurate and complete histories (even if unpleasant and painful) to the upcoming generation is one way we can play our part in raising global citizens and  making sure the ugly parts of history never repeat themselves. ♥️




Comments

Popular Posts