Land-based Learning Resources List

Farm to School Month in Canada 2021

Education about our local food system must tie back to the land and its histories and stories. Land-based learning involves learning from the land and water, and understanding and fostering our connection to them. Farm to school is inextricably connected with land-based learning practices: land-based learning, as an experiential approach, helps us foster a relationship with food and understand how we sustain ourselves. Land-based learning is rooted in Indigenous teachings and worldviews, which should be acknowledged whenever this approach is used. Learn more.

The following list of resources, including short inspirational videos, comprehensive toolkits and hands-on activities, have been compiled as part of Farm to School Month 2021 to engage school communities in exploring land-based learning and integrating it into their practice.

Please note that a majority of the resources listed below are in English. Although F2CC did work to find some resources in French and Indigenous languages, we were unable to find many. If you are aware of land-based learning resources that are in French or any other language, please submit the name or link of the resource to info@farmtocafeteriaca.ca, so that we may share the resource with our network to enjoy.

Name /Organization	Region	Authors	Main topics	Target audience	Language	Online Platform or Platform?	Description
Getting started on land-based learning
Red Rising Education What is Indigenous Education	Manitoba	Red Rising Magazine	- Identity -Land and water - Community and Resistance How Indigenous and non-Indigneous teachers can teach about Indigenous knowledge in their classrooms	Indigenous youth, elders, artists and general audience	English	Website and magazine which shared stories and experiences of Indigenous youth, adults, artitist, academics	Red Rising is a nonprofit Indigenous collective. They produce an annual magazine that is unfiltered, uncensored, and is able to tell a story about what is happening right now, and what is about to happen next in our communities.
Take Me Outside	National	Take me outside	- raising awareness and facilitating action on nature connection and outdoor learning in schools	General public and educators	English	Website	A selection of excellent teaching resources including ready to go activities and great databases to search for additional resources.
Indigenous Land-Based Learning	Ontario	The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO)	- Land-based learning can take places anywhere, the outside, and in classrooms	School communities	English	PDF full of stories	This resource shares stories of what land-based education means to different educators and provides useful resources for school communities.
Earth to table legacies- ways of knowing Earth to Tables on our blog here			Indigenous-settler relations, food justice, food sovereignty and anti-racism	General public	English	Website	A multimedia educational package focused on food justice and food sovereignty. The website offers a plethora of resources including compelling videos and facilitator’s guides supplemented by insightful commentary from activists & academics across Turtle Island (North America).
30-Day Walking Curriculm	British Columbia	Walking Curriculum by Gillian Judson Indigenous connections are suggestions only – created by Nadine McSpadden & Heidi Wood	-Introduces Indigenous perspectives to learning activities.	Teachers	English	PDF guide with activities	The purpose of this document is to support the Walking Curriculum 30-day challenge and to introduce an Indigenous perspective to the learning activities.
Educator Resource
School District 58 http://www.sd85.bc.ca/wordpress/first-nations-library/	Kwakwaka‘wakw Traditional Territory Vancouver Island North British Columbia	School District 58 located on Vancouver Island	- Potlatch collection lessons - Aboriginal perspectives and worldviews in the classroom	Educators, and school community	English	Webpage with links to additional resources	School District 58 on Vancouver Island supports schools in the district to recognize and honour Aboriginal culture, history and values.
Three Sisters Garden	Nova Scotia	Kidsgardening.org	Planting the Three Sisters	School Communities, students	English	Lesson Plan (P-5) Downloadable Lesson Plan	Students will explore the benefits of companion planting by investigating the historical Native American planting of Three Sisters Gardens.
Treaty Education Framework for Curriculum Development	Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development	Integration of Treaty Education into the grade primary to 12 curricula	School Communities	English	PDF	This document is intended to provide direction for the meaningful integration of Treaty Education into Nova Scotia curricula. This includes land-based learnings.
Backyard Science: Learning the L’nu Way!	Nova Scotia	Digital Mi'kmaq	Curriculum-connected educational series which interweaves Indigenous science with Western science	School Communities	English	Webpage	This nine-part curriculum-connected educational series interweaves Indigenous science with Western science to advance knowledge using the concept of Etuaptmumk /Two-Eyed Seeing. Throughout this series you’ll discover amazing fields of science specific to Mi’kma’ki or Atlantic Canada. Perfect for at home or in class learning with individual and team based activities connected to learning outcomes. Join us in Backyard Science and connect to the beauty and intricacies of Indigenous knowledge and understanding.
The First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Sustainable Development Institute (FNQLSDI)	Quebec		Collection of books on environment and sustainable development.	School communities, general public	French and English	Webpage with links to books	Books showcasing stories that feature experiences of Indigenous peoples and their connection to lands and waters.
The Water Walker	Ontario	Joanne Robertson She is AnishinaabeKwe and a member of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek.	Protecting water and connecting with water	Young children	Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and English	Picture Book	The award-winning story of a determined Ojibwe Nokomis (Grandmother) Josephine-ba Mandamin and her great love for Nibi (water). Nokomis walked to raise awareness of our need to protect Nibi for future generations, and for all life on the planet. She, along with other women, men, and youth, have walked around all the Great Lakes from the four salt waters, or oceans, to Lake Superior.
National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education (NCCIE) Teaching Resources Centre Canadian Bushcraft	National	The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education	- Connecting to land -Stories about growing up and connecting with land	Educators, students, youth, and adult community members, and often involve Elders and Knowledge Keepers as teachers.	ENG/Indigenous	Website with stories, ways of knowing, and Indigenous knowledge	The stories capturued in this webpage are about harvesting, hunting, trapping, fishing, medicine gathering and teachings, learning bush survival skills, traditional land-based scientific knowledge and culture .are aimed at educators, students, youth, and adult community members, and often involve Elders and Knowledge Keepers as teachers.
Resource 4 thinking	National	Learning for a sustainable future	- Water and biodiversity, evolving ecosystesm, and many more topics to explore	Teachers	English	Classroom resources reviewed by teachers for teachers	Organisation whose mission is to promote, through education, the knowledge, skills, perspectives, and practices essential to a sustainable future.
Indigenous Education webinar series	National	Jean-Paul Restoule and Angela Giuseppina Nardozi,	- Indigenous ways of knowing - Learning from the land	General audience	English	Webinars	This blogpost features a series of webinars focused on Indigenous knowledge and educational resources.
White Earth Land Recovery Project : Indigenous Farm To School Curricula	United States	White Earth Land Recovery Project	Health, economics, and connecting to land	Educators	English	Website with downloadable resources	White Earth Land Recovery Project works to facilitate the recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation while preserving and restoring traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and strengthening our spiritual and cultural heritage.
Sharing stories of land-based learning initiatives
Panuijkatmnej Ep.1 - Puko'si Tea // Mi'kmaq land-based education	Nova Scotia	Allison Bernard Memorial High School	Mi'kmaq knowledge and teachings	General audience	English	YouTube video	Panuijkatmnej is a series of educational videos featuring land-based Mi'kmaq knowledge and teachings.
Learning from the Land	Alberta	The College of Alberta School Superintendents	--Relationships with land, identity, reconciliation	School Communities	English	Online webpage that has links to other resources, including videos, articles. Online interactive learning resource guide	Webpage that describes connection to land and the importance of learning with the land.
Decolonizing Education Through Outdoor Learning: The Learning Story of an Indigenous Kindergarten Teacher	Ontario	Alexandria Middlemiss	Land-based learning, culturally relevant curriculum and connection to family and community	General public and educators	English	Thesis	This research explores an Indigenous teacher’s learning story and practice in order to better understand decolonizing educational practices.
University of British Columbia Farm: Indigenous Initiatives	Unceded ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people British Columbia	University of British Columbia	- Musqueam Garden -Maya in Exile -Land-based Indigenous Strategy	Schools and broad communities; newcomer families in Canada	English	Website	The Indigenous Initiatives’ programming supports the objectives of UBC’s First Nations House of Learning in promoting research that will benefit First Nations, Métis, and Inuit People, the specific research goals of the Indigenous Research Partnerships, as well as the university-wide strategy for Indigenous engagement
Nuu-chah-nulth - Activity Book Videos	Nuu-chah-nulth ha-ha-houlthee (territories) Vancouver Island British Columbia	Uuathluk I Taking Care Of	-Learing about marine creatures -Seafood recipes		English and Nuu-chah-nulth	Wepage that has access to story books and other tools	Uu-a-thluk is an aquatic resource management organization administered through the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC)
Tlatsini: Journey of the Taku Kwan	Taku River Tlingit First Nation British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska	Mike Rudyk	- Taku River Tlingit took traditional route for first time in a century	General public	English	Documentary	For the Tlingit people of the Pacific Northwest, one of these places is the mighty Taku River. Master Carver Wayne Carlick leads a canoe team down the river to ceremony in Alaska as his people once did.
Learning Science Through Land Akiiwan Podcast	Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba	University of Manitoba	Enviornmental science, Indigenous education	Communities living in Manitoba, and general public	English	Webpage, with links to resources, including podcast	Kis Kin Ha Ma Ki Win is a three-year initiative to provide local youth with opportunities to learn about environmental sciences through Indigenous cultural worldviews and customs.
Learning the Land	Prairies	Treaty Education Alliance Nature Conservancy Canada	-Understanding connection to the land	School communities	English	Website which has downloadable teaching resources	Learning the land is more than an outdooe education program. It is about learning from the land and understanding our connection to it. Understanding our connection will give life to what the land can teach us, how it communicates with us and how it looks after all life upon it. The land has a way to strengthen all things.
DECHINTA Centre for Research and Learning Webinar series - https://www.dechinta.ca/covid19 Vidoes and resources - https://www.dechinta.ca/resources	Chief Drygeese Territory Northwest Territories	DECHINTA	Land-based education	Indigenous students, and general audience	English	Education program located in the north, as well as links to webinars and videos	Land-based higher education program, located in the north, that embraces Indigenous ways on knowing, learning, and being.
A Walk on the Tundra	Nunavut	Rebecca Hainnu and Anna Ziegler	Learning about arctic plants	Elementary school children	English and Inuktitut	Children's book	A Walk on the Tundra follows Inuujaq, a little girl who travels with her grandmother onto the tundra. There, Inuujaq learns that these tough little plants are much more important to Inuit than she originally believed. This book includes a field guide with photographs and scientific information about a wide array of plants found throughout the Arctic.
First Voices	National	First Peoples' Cultural Council	First Nations languages	Indigenous communities	English and Indigenous languages	Website	Online space for Indigenous communities to share and promote language, oral culture and linguistic history.
Stories from the land	National	Indian & Cowboy	Episodes are on learning about the land, respecting the land, moose hunting, and more	General audience	English	Podcast	The Stories From The Land Podcast series is a collection of Indigenous community sourced stories that connect Indigenous Peoples to place with the aim of reinforcing worldview, philosophies & teachings through storytelling.
Our Children, Our Ways: Early Childhood Education in First Nations & Inuit Communities	National
Reconnecting with traditional foodways
Leanne Simpson and Glen Coulthard on Dechinta Bush University, Indigenous land-based education and embodied resurgence	Alberta	Eric Ritskes	Education, interviews, land, resurgence	Indigenous communities, and general public	English	Interview	An interview with Leanne Simpson and Glen Coulthard on Dechinta Bush University, Indigenous land-based education and embodied resurgence.
Local Foods to School: Reconnecting the Children of Haida Gwaii to Their Food and Their Land	Haida Nation British Columbia	Video created by Farm to Cafeteria Canada and the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia as part of the Nourishing School Communities Initiative with support from many community partners on Haida Gwaii	- Reconnecting children to their land and food	Indigenous school communities and general public	English	Youtube Video	The video showcases the Haida Gwaii Learning Circle and how the community has beautifully come together to reconnect young people to their land and food.
Indigenous Food Circle Understanding our food system - resources	Ontario	Collaboration between Thunder Bay District Healthy Unit and Indigenous food circle	-Indigenous food sovereignty,increase food self-determination, and establish meaningful relationships with the settler population through food.	Communities in Northwestern Ontario and general public	English	Webpage which has webinars, documentaries, and other resources	Understanding Our Food Systems is a participatory, community-engaged and action focused project led by fourteen First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario.
Angry Inuk: The anti-sealing industry has had dire impacts on Canada's Inuit families - CBC Docs POV	Nunavut & National	Directed by Inuk Alethea Arnaquq-Baril	- seal hunting, food security, and traditional way of life	General public	English	Documentary, full documentary available on Youtube	Seal meat is a staple food for Inuit, and many of the pelts are sold to offset the extraordinary cost of hunting. Inuit are spread across extensive lands and waters, and their tiny population is faced with a disproportionate responsibility for protecting the environment. They are pushing for a sustainable way to take part in the global economy.
Indigenous-led School Food Programs; Bringing Indigenous Food Sovereignty to the Forest	National	Food Secure Canada	- School food programs -Indigenous food sovereignty	General public	English	Webinar recap	Hosted by Food Secure Canada, during this webinar, attendees had the opportunity to hear from four school food providers who bring Indigenous Food Sovereignty to the forefront of their programs.
Gather Film	National		-Indigenous food sovereignty	General public	English	Documentary	Gather is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide. The film follows Nephi Craig, a chef from the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona), opening an indigenous café as a nutritional recovery clinic; Elsie Dubray, a young scientist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation (South Dakota), conducting landmark studies on bison; and the Ancestral Guard, a group of environmental activists from the Yurok Nation (Northern California), trying to save the Klamath river.
Podcast Well for all - reconnecting with ancestral foodways	United States	Well for Culture	Reestablishing our relationships with food	Indigenous communities, and general public	English	Podcast episode	Topics covered in this episode include the impact of colonialism on modern health; Indigenous values-based food choices; why we don’t say “diet,”; no more one-size-fits-all solutions; the mental/physical/spiritual/emotional components of food; mindful eating; what is ancestral food; and much, much more
"Podcast All my relations - Food Sovereignty: A Growing Movement"	United States	Matika Wilbur, Desi Small-Rodriguez & Adrienne Keene	Food Sovereignty and how colonization disrupted our relationship with our traditional foods?	Indigenous communities and general public	English	Podcast episode	This episode discusses why Indigenous food sovereignty is so important.
Traditional Food Resource
First Nations Traditional Food Facts Sheets by First Nations Health Authority	British Columbia	First Nations Health Authority	Traditional kinds of food amongst First Nations in BC	Indigenous school communities and other school communities	English	Fact Sheet	Informative set of facts sheets on traditional foods, their nutritional value, history of use, and traditional harvesting methods
Traditional foods and Indigenous recipes in B.C.'s public institutions	British Columbia	Prepared by Queenswood Consulting Group for the Government of British Columbia	- Increase access to traditional foods and Indigenous recipes in public institutions	Educators, school community, and general audience	English	Report	This report was developed to support the government’s objective to increase the use of B.C. foods, improve the patient food experience in health care, and efforts to increase access to traditional foods and Indigenous recipes in public institutions.
Traditional Food Fact Sheet Series Ecology North and the Department of Health and Social Services	Northwest Territories	Government of Northwest Territories	Nutritional fact sheet on beaver, beluga, berries, caribou, and other animals and plants	Communities located in the Northwest Territories and general public	English	Nutritional fact sheet series	Details nutritional facts about traditional foods and the benefits of eating them, as well as number of servings that are recommended.
Food Resource
CLEAR Wild And Country Food In NL Database	Newfoundland and Labrador	Food First NL	Wild food in NL	School communities living in NL and general public	English	database as a google sheet and downloadable graphics	This database is designed to help individuals, communities, academics better understand the wild food that’s all around us.
Environmental Education Resources and Activities
Alberta Council For Environmental Education	Alberta	Alberta Council for Environmental Education Individual material by other authors	- Climate change - Nature & Diversity - Food & Gardening	Teacher	English, French and 1 Cree resources	Online information hub, including printable toolkit, videos, and more.	Teaching enviornmental education resources for K-12. Ability to filter through to gain access to specific resources.
Government Of Nunavut - Enviornment Education	Nunavut	Department of Environment in collaboration with Nunavut Arctic College	Harvester Education Series , Books, Lesson plans for educators	Communities and educators living in Nunavut, general public	English, Inuktitut, Inuinnaqtun and French	Multi media, includes books, videos and more	A series of books and videos to document and share important land skills and species specific information on harvested species in Nunavut.
Toronto Outdoor Education Schools: Get Outside Lesson Indigenous theme	Ontario	Toronto District School Board	- Sense of Place - Gardening - Land Acknowledgement - Culture, Family & Art	Teachers, parents, Lesson plans	English	Shared google-drive that has downloadable lesson plans.	Library of resource, teaching resources, resources for family, lesson plans
Ontario Society for Environmental Education	Ontario	The Ontario Society for Environmental Education	Nature-based, enviornmental learning	School communities, and educators	English	Webpage	Offers resources, news and information about curriculum related to a specific subject matter to teachers.
Forest and nature school in Canada: A Head, Heart, Hands Approach to Outdoor Learning	National	Forest School Canada	-Play and Places-based learning	Educators	ENG	Downloadable guide	The role of this guide is to help educators and the communities that surround and support them, to learn more about Forest and Nature School (FNS) and what this model of education offers children
Reconnecing with traditional foodways
Reclaiming our Roots: Land-based Workshops	Nova Scotia	James Doucette and Chenise Hache	land based activity or theme, such as fishing, harvesting, fur Harvesting and Stewardship	School communities, general public	English	Webpage that includes access to workshops and webinars	The webpage and authors facilitate land-based learning opportunities rooted in Mi’kmaw values, through mentoring and workshops.
Indigenous Education Resources and Activities
Hunting and Gathering	Nova Scotia	Doris Boase	Hunting and gathering	School communities, Grade 6	English	PDF Classroom Learning Module	These Art lessons will prepare students to display their hunting- and gathering-inspired artwork in a Heritage Fair setting. This will include interview-based research, gathering relevant art pieces, and development of displaying one’s art
Mi’gmaq Language as a Means of Promoting Indigenous Sustainability	Nova Scotia	Treena Metallic, Gail Metallic, and Madelaine Metallic	- Mi’gmaq informatio and culture - Medicinal Plants	School Communities, Grade 3	English	PDF Classroom Learning Module	In these lessons, students will use Mi’gmaq information and culture to identify certain medicinal plants and understand their use and importance in a way that demonstrates respect and important Mi'gmaq values. Students will also have an opportunity to discover that plants are important to all living things and are connected to us in many ways. Students will learn these two important concepts through the use of many different activities and learning styles.
More Resources
Indigenous food systems network - activities by four seasons	National	Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty	- Indigenous food sovereignty - Recipes - Indigenous lands and food systems	Indigenous peoples, and general public	English	Website	The Indigenous Food Systems Network Website was developed by the WGIFS and is designed to allow individuals and groups involved with Indigenous food related action, research, and policy reform to network and share relevant resources and information.The WGIFS facilitates relationship building by organizing the time and space for regular meetings and discussions to better understand each other and our unique relationship to Indigenous land and food systems.
Knowing Home: Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science	British Columbia	Edited by Gloria Snively and Wanosts'a7 Lorna Williams	- Culturally Appropriate Curriculum Projects - Braiding Indigenous Science with Western Science	Teachers and students	English	Downloadable book	Book details how Indigenous knowlege and science can be taught to students.
“We get our education from the land": student perspective of Indigenous food sovereignty	Nova Scotia	Megan Matthews	- Indigenous food sovereignty - Traditional Indigenous knowledge - Indigenous food security	General audience	English	Thesis	This qualitative study explored the perspectives of participants who attended a Summer Institute in Mi’kma’ki that focused on Indigenous food sovereignty (IFS). Particularly, how the participants’ perceived the activities of the Summer Institute as shaping their understanding of IFS, and how they might use Two-Eyed Seeing to consider issues relating to IFS into the future. Two sets of focus groups took place; the first occurred at the Summer Institute and the second eight weeks later via video-conference. The focus groups were audio-recorded, and the data were analyzed thematically. Two key themes were identified from the analysis; 1) Understanding and Critiquing IFS, and 2) Two-Eyed Seeing as a means to deepen understandings of IFS. These findings offer the perspectives from those who learned about IFS and Two-Eyed Seeing from Mi'kmaq experts, and provides evidence to support the value of land-based learning when trying to gain a deeper understanding of IFS
Okanagan Nation Youtube Channel	Okanagan Nation British Columbia	Okanagan Nation	Okanagan connection to their land	Indigenous communities and schools	English and Indigenous languages	Youtube Channel	The YouTube channel features stories about salmon rehabilitation, interviews with Elder, and explores other traditional practices.
The suknaʔqín̓x (Okanagan) is Beautiful	Okanagan Nation British Columbia	Tourism Kelowna	The meaning of the land, water and Okanagan people	Indigenous communities and schools	English	YouTube video	The video explores the beauty of the land and waters of the Okanagan nation.
Guardians of Tariuq	Nunavut	School children in Apex, Nunavut worked with local artists Josh Qaumariaq ‏and Vinnie Karetak	Song about protecting marine life in Canada’s Eastern Arctic	General public	English	YouTube video	School children in Apex, Nunavut worked with local artists Josh Qaumariaq ‏and Vinnie Karetak to write a song about protecting marine life in Canada’s Eastern Arctic. Their music video celebrates the ancient, fragile species of corals and sponges found off the coasts of Nunavut and Labrador, and highlights the importance of these creatures for other Arctic species, including humans.
Making Indigenous-led education a public policy priority: The Benefits of Land-Based Education and Programming	Ontario	By Danielle Cherpako Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness	- Indigenous-led land-based education	General public	English	Pamphlet	This document defines land-based education and highlights how learning in an outdoor environment has mental health benefits, improves understanding for active learners, and can help students to develop environmental awareness and a connection to the land.
Cree Elders’ Perspectives on Land-Based Education: A Case Study	Saskatechwan	John Hansen	- Land-Based Education, Indigenous Knowledge, Culture, Healing, Decolonization	Indigenous peoples, and general public	English	Case study	The study deals with the notion that Indigenous peoples are concerned with preserving their communities, nations, cultural values, and educational traditions. While the study is based on the Cree experience in Northern Manitoba, its message is significant to many other Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Drawing on the Elders’ teachings, policy recommendations are generated for advancing Indigenous landbased education
Native-Land.ca: Our home on native land	National	Native Land Digital	Map of Indigenous lands and languages around the world	General public	English and Indigenous languages	Online collaborative map	The map is dedicated to providing education about Indigenous peoples, territories, and knowledge systems in North America.
Sacred Water: Water for Life		Lea Foushee and Renee Gurneau	Indigenous health	General public	English	Instruction manual	Sacred Water provides direction to regain an Indigenous state of health that incorporates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical aspects of human reality.
Learning from the Land: Resources and stories from K-12 schools engaging with Indigenous plants and pedagogy	British Columbia	Farm to School BC	Land-based Learning	General Public	English	Downloadable PDF document	A written compilation of resources and stories highlighting programs related to Indigenous plants and pedagogy within schools located in what is colonially known today as British Columbia, Canada. This document intends to inspire and support teachers, school administrators, and community members who are interested in developing similar initiatives connected to K-12 schools.