Unit 3: Indigenous Peoples of Canada Review

Question 1

Why are oral traditions important to Indigenous cultures?

Accepted Answer

They preserve history, laws, and cultural values.

Question 2

What does the “Indian Horse” name symbolize in the film?

Accepted Answer

Saul’s speed and grace on the ice, tied to his Indigenous identity

Question 3

The Inuit used soapstone primarily for:

Accepted Answer

Making tools & carvings

Question 4

What was the purpose of the potlatch ceremony?

Accepted Answer

To share wealth and reinforce status

Question 5

Which policy was introduced by the Indian Act to govern Indigenous land use?

Accepted Answer

The reserve system, which placed land under federal control

Question 6

What was one negative effect of European contact on Indigenous societies?

Accepted Answer

Loss of traditional lands and resources.

Question 7

What was the primary purpose of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump for the Plains Indigenous peoples?

Accepted Answer

A hunting technique to drive bison over cliffs for food and resources

Question 8

Which tree was most important to the Northwest Coast peoples?

Accepted Answer

Cedar

Question 9

Why does Saul struggle with alcohol later in the film?

Accepted Answer

It mirrors the coping mechanisms of other residential school survivors

Question 10

Why is it important to learn about Indigenous history prior to Confederation?

Accepted Answer

To understand the diverse cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples.

Question 11

Why were pit houses abandoned after a few winters?

Accepted Answer

They became unsanitary or structurally unsound

Question 12

How did the Indian Act attempt to suppress Indigenous cultural practices?

Accepted Answer

By criminalizing ceremonies like the potlatch and sun dance

Question 13

What was the purpose of the Sun Dance Festival?

Accepted Answer

To honor the spiritual connection to nature and community.

Question 14

Which animal was most important to the Plains Peoples for survival?

Accepted Answer

Bison

Question 15

What is the primary reason Saul Indian Horse is sent to St. Jerome’s Residential School in the film?

Accepted Answer

To assimilate into Euro-Canadian culture and erase his Indigenous identity

Question 16

What was unique about Iroquois social organization?

Accepted Answer

They were matrilineal.

Question 17

Which animal was commonly used by the Inuit for food, clothing, and tools?

Accepted Answer

Seal

Question 18

What role did Elders play in Indigenous communities?

Accepted Answer

They acted as spiritual leaders and knowledge keepers.

Question 19

What was the main reason Inuit society was organized into small hunting groups?

Accepted Answer

Due to the scarcity of food in the Arctic

Question 20

What is a Umiak?

Accepted Answer

A narrow boat used by the Inuit

Question 21

What led to the growth of Iroquois populations?

Accepted Answer

The switch from hunting-gathering to agriculture.

Question 22

What was pemmican?

Accepted Answer

A food made from dried bison meat and fat.

Question 23

How did the Plains Peoples hunt bison?

Accepted Answer

By driving them into pounds or over cliffs.

Question 24

What kind of kinship system did the Northwest Coast peoples often use?

Accepted Answer

Bilateral

Question 25

Which of the following best describes the Inuit’s main food sources?

Accepted Answer

Hunting sea mammals and fishing

Question 26

What was the primary material used by Inuit to build traditional winter homes?

Accepted Answer

Blocks of packed snow

Question 27

Which of the following demonstrates Indigenous peoples' spiritual connection to the natural world?

Accepted Answer

The Sun Dance Festival.

Question 28

Which of the following First Nations are part of the Plateau region?

Accepted Answer

Chilcotin, Lillooet, Shuswap

Question 29

How did Indigenous communities initially respond to European contact?

Accepted Answer

Mostly cooperative.

Question 30

How was Inuit society organized?

Accepted Answer

Patrilineal

Question 31

What was the primary purpose of the Indian Act when it was first introduced in 1876?

Accepted Answer

To assimilate Indigenous peoples into Canadian society

Question 32

How did the Plateau peoples' lifestyle compare to other Indigenous groups?

Accepted Answer

Similar to both Coastal and Plains peoples

Question 33

What was a significant consequence of early European contact for Indigenous peoples?

Accepted Answer

Catastrophic population decline due to diseases like smallpox

Question 34

What was the purpose of potlatch ceremonies?

Accepted Answer

To redistribute wealth and strengthen social bonds.

Question 35

What is a clan system?

Accepted Answer

A social organization based on family or kinship ties.

Question 36

What was a major food source for the Plateau peoples?

Accepted Answer

Fall salmon run

Question 37

Which resource was least important to Plateau peoples’ survival?

Accepted Answer

Bison herds

Question 38

How did early trade with Europeans impact Indigenous economies?

Accepted Answer

It introduced new goods but disrupted traditional practices.

Question 39

Which of the following was not a Northwest Coast cultural trait?

Accepted Answer

Use of kayaks

Question 40

What was a key feature of the clan system in Indigenous societies?

Accepted Answer

It organized people into extended family units with shared responsibilities

Question 41

What type of houses did Northwest Coast peoples live in during the winter?

Accepted Answer

Cedar longhouses

Question 42

Which term describes a decision-making process based on community agreement?

Accepted Answer

Consenses

Question 43

The Inuit mainly lived in which geographic area?

Accepted Answer

Arctic Coast

Question 44

How were Iroquois towns governed?

Accepted Answer

By a town council of chiefs from each family.

Question 45

Which of the following nations lived in the Eastern Woodlands region?

Accepted Answer

Iroquois

Question 46

What is the significance of the scene where Saul returns to St. Jerome’s as an adult?

Accepted Answer

He confronts his trauma and begins healing by reclaiming his memories

Question 47

Why was bilateral kinship beneficial to Northwest Coast societies?

Accepted Answer

It allowed access to more resources through family ties

Question 48

What were palisades used for?

Accepted Answer

Protecting towns from attacks.

Question 49

Why was seal oil important to the Inuit?

Accepted Answer

It provided heat and light

Question 50

Totem poles often represent:

Accepted Answer

Ancestral Lineage & Myths

Question 51

How does hockey serve as a symbol in Indian Horse?

Accepted Answer

It becomes a temporary escape from trauma but also mirrors systemic racism

Question 52

How long have the Northwest Coast peoples inhabited the BC coast?

Accepted Answer

10,000 years

Question 53

Which First Peoples group relied on the seasonal salmon run and local plant gathering?

Accepted Answer

Plateau

Question 54

Which Indigenous practice emphasized harmony between humans and the natural world?

Accepted Answer

Vision quests and seasonal rituals

Question 55

Where did the Plateau peoples typically spend their winters?

Accepted Answer

Pit houses

Question 56

Which of the following was a direct consequence of the Indian Act?

Accepted Answer

Indigenous people lost their legal status and rights

Question 57

Why were the Plains Peoples nomadic?

Accepted Answer

To follow the bison herds.

Question 58

What role does the character of Father Gaston play in Saul’s story?

Accepted Answer

He represents the church’s role in enforcing assimilation and discipline

Unit 3: Indigenous Peoples of Canada Review

Questions 58

Unit 3: Indigenous Peoples of Canada Review

Questions 58