Learning Story – Learning from the Squirrel
The Week of October 17th, 2025
What Happened?
What can we learn from the squirrel? dlòo
Ted Tsetta joined us today today to share his knowledge about squirrels and how to put to put them on a frame. We started the day off in a good way by introducing ourselves and sharing where we are from in Tlı̨chǫ Yatıı. We discussed how taking the time to do this is a way to build relationship because we can begin to connect to each other if we know who and where we are from.
Ted shared a story that Elders had shared with him about the squirrel and the bear. Then
we discussed how taking time to observe squirrels can teach us a lot about how to survive
the changing seasons.
After morning circle, while the Bushkids began to play, they had the opportunity take
turns to work with Ted to make a frame for a squirrel that they would help the Aurora
College ECE students skin and stretch later in the day.
Why is it Important?
Dene Kede: p 176-177 Students will: Know that elders are a rich source of information
about the land.
Show a willingness to be respectful towards an older person.
Be able to sit comfortably with an elder, and listen attentively for longer and longer
periods.
Know that traditional knowledge has always been passed down from generation to
generation of Dene orally rather than through the use of book.
We have such gratitude for the time that Ted spent with us today and for how respectful
the Bushkids were while he was with them. It is important to give the Bushkids the time
and space to build relationships with Elders.
In our morning circle, we introduced ourselves in Tlı̨chǫ Yatıı. When we do this, we learn new things about each other, which allows us to build strong connections and relationships with each other.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
Over the past few weeks the Bushkids have experienced so much authentic learning
through organizing their own games. They have played games that they were taught by
others in the past and have created new games. Next week, we will spend time playing
and discussing why we play games and why the Dene played the games that the did in the
past.
“I want to play more fun games next week!”
“We can learn how to collect food from watching squirrels.”
Bushkids