Top sur le bison

Did you know that cows and bison are part of the same family? Here are some interesting facts about bison!

While viewing or after viewing this video, we recommend discussing the following points with your students and encouraging them to explore the topic further through additional research:

1:04 - Invite students to inquire about the Indigenous Nations that primarily hunted bison before the arrival of European settlers. Note: The survival of the Indigenous peoples of the plains depended on bison. Bison were used for much more than just making accessories and tents.

1:16 - Note: Bison were killed by settlers and hunters for their fur, meat, and bones, and also as a result of a political decision aimed at starving Indigenous peoples by destroying their primary resource and thereby forcing them into dependency.

1:39 - It would be more accurate to speak of Indigenous spirituality rather than mythology. Invite students to learn more about Indigenous peoples for whom the bison holds an important place culturally, spiritually, and historically, such as the Métis, the Blackfoot (Niitsitapi), the Cree (Nehiyawak), and the Sioux (Dakota and Lakota).