To support National Indigenous History Month and the First Peoples’ Principles of Learning we’re highlighting energy activities that incorporate Indigenous perspectives and connections to the land and water to help your students develop social awareness and responsibility for their natural environment. 

To help you take part, here are curriculum-aligned K – 12 activities with accompanying worksheets, slides and handouts for your class:

Grade K – 3

• Listen to the water
• Sense-ational water
• The importance of water
• Honouring water
• Vividly describing water
• Drops of wisdom
• Salmon Life Cycle game
• Happy fish, sad fish game

Grades 4 – 6

• Learning about water from traditional teachings
• Interconnected by water
• Living in a good way with water
• Seven generations thinking
• Two-eyed seeing
• Stewards of the water
• Happy fish, sad fish game 
• T’sou-ke First Nation: solar powered

Grades 7 – 9

• Respectful dam designs
• Honouring and describing the movement of water
• Indigenous communities and climate resilience
• Respectfully meeting future energy needs
• How does hydroelectric power impact Indigenous communities?
• The harmonious power of water
• Nature Connections
• Climate action

Grades 10 – 12

• Respectful collaboration to create sustainable energy
• Should water have rights? 
• Reconciliation and energy 
• Understanding the hydrologic cycle 
• Thinking about water and climate change 
• Exploring perspectives on sustainability

We also encourage teachers to: 

• invite an Elder or Knowledge Keeper to speak to your class about their connection to land and environmental stewardship 
• take students outside or on a field trip to find a special place in nature and discuss how they can take action to protect our land and resources

BC Hydro exists to serve British Columbians by providing clean, reliable and affordable electricity. We recognize that maintaining and developing the system has impacts on the lives and interest of Indigenous People.

To support our move towards true and lasting reconciliation with Indigenous People, BC Hydro will acknowledge past wrongs, listen to Indigenous perspectives and seek shared understanding with First Nations communities and governments. Click here to learn more about BC Hydro’s Statement of Indigenous Principles.