Indigenous Resistance & Activism

Active learning helps students engage with the emotional weight of this topic while building critical analysis skills. By working collaboratively on real-world issues like MMIWG, students move beyond passive listening to grapple with evidence, perspectives, and systemic connections in ways that promote deeper understanding.

• Grade 10
• Canadian Studies
• 3 activities
• 25 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the specific grievances articulated by Indigenous leaders in response to the 1969 White Paper.
2. Compare the primary objectives and tactics employed by the Idle No More movement and the Wet'suwet'en land defenders.
3. Evaluate the long-term impact of the Oka Crisis on federal-provincial land claims processes.
4. Explain the role of legal challenges and direct action in contemporary Indigenous activism.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Systemic Factors

In small groups, students use a 'root cause analysis' tool to identify the different factors (e.g., poverty, lack of safe transportation, police bias) that contribute to the MMIWG crisis. They then match these factors to specific Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry.

Prepare & details

Analyze how the 1969 White Paper catalyzed Indigenous political organizing.

Facilitation Tip: When leading the REDress Gallery Walk, invite students to move slowly, observe details in the dresses, and jot down questions or reactions on sticky notes to post near each piece.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Role of the Media

Students compare the media coverage of a missing Indigenous woman with that of a missing non-Indigenous woman. They discuss with a partner how media bias can affect public perception and the urgency of police investigations.

Prepare & details

Compare the strategies and goals of various modern Indigenous protest movements.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Gallery Walk

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Gallery Walk: The REDress Project

Display images of the REDress Project (hanging red dresses in public spaces). Students move through the gallery, discussing in pairs how art can be used to raise awareness for MMIWG and the impact of these visual symbols on the public.

Prepare & details

Evaluate the impact of the Oka Crisis on land rights negotiations in Canada.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teaching this topic requires balancing emotional exposure with intellectual rigor. Start with the facts of the National Inquiry to ground the discussion, then scaffold toward more complex questions about accountability and change. Use primary sources and survivor testimonies to center Indigenous voices, while avoiding graphic details that may cause harm. Research shows that structured reflection after emotionally charged activities helps students process what they’ve learned without overwhelming them.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students connecting historical injustices to present-day realities through evidence-based discussion and creative analysis. They should demonstrate empathy while maintaining academic rigor, using inquiry to challenge assumptions and deepen their understanding of Indigenous resistance.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Collaborative Investigation, watch for students who frame MMIWG as solely a 'police problem.'

What to Teach Instead

Use the group’s 'web of factors' artifact to redirect their focus. Ask them to add connections from their research on housing, child welfare, or economic factors, then discuss how these systems interact with policing to create risk for Indigenous women and girls.

Common Misconception

During the Think-Pair-Share on the media, listen for students who dismiss the National Inquiry’s use of 'genocide' as exaggerated.

What to Teach Instead

Use the Inquiry’s report to guide a close reading. Have students highlight passages that define the term 'genocide' in the legal sense, then compare those definitions to the Inquiry’s findings about systemic violence and state failure.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Collaborative Investigation, facilitate a class debate using the 'web of factors' as evidence. Ask students to cite specific systemic issues from their research and connect them to arguments about who bears responsibility for addressing MMIWG.

Quick Check

During the REDress Gallery Walk, collect students’ sticky notes with questions or reactions. Review these to assess their ability to make connections between the visual representation of missing women and the systemic factors discussed in class.

Exit Ticket

During the Think-Pair-Share activity, have students submit a written reflection on one media portrayal they analyzed and how it either reinforced or challenged stereotypes about Indigenous women. Use these reflections to gauge their understanding of media bias and its impact on the crisis.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research a local Indigenous-led organization addressing MMIWG and prepare a 2-minute presentation on its work and funding sources.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for the Think-Pair-Share activity, such as 'The media’s portrayal of this issue is problematic because...' or 'A fairer way to report on this might be...'
• Deeper exploration: Have students interview a community member or elder about Indigenous activism in your region, then write a reflection connecting their insights to the systemic factors discussed in class.

Key Vocabulary

White Paper (1969)	A government policy proposal aimed at abolishing the Indian Act and treating Indigenous peoples as individuals rather than distinct groups, which was largely rejected by Indigenous communities.
Idle No More	A grassroots Indigenous-led movement that began in 2012, raising awareness about treaty rights, environmental protection, and Indigenous sovereignty through protests and educational initiatives.
Oka Crisis	A 1990 armed standoff between Mohawk protesters, Quebec provincial police, and the Canadian military over land disputes and the expansion of a golf course near Oka, Quebec.
Land Back	A movement advocating for the return of Indigenous lands to Indigenous peoples, challenging colonial land dispossession and asserting Indigenous jurisdiction.
Self-determination	The right of Indigenous peoples to govern themselves and make decisions about their own affairs, lands, and futures.