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Anishinaabek Identity & Diversity

Anishinaabek Identity & Diversity preview

About This Resource

This awareness-level lesson introduces learners to the diversity of Anishinaabek peoples and the unique cultural identities that connect them both to one another and to non-Anishinaabek communities. It explores how Anishinaabe identity is shaped through language, kinship, traditions, and spiritual relationships, while continuing to evolve across generations and influence the future.

Student Organization

Whole class

Activity Setting

Classroom Setting

Time Required

1 hour, 20 minutes-1 hour, 40 minutes

Learners will…

  • Recognize that Anishinaabe people, like all people, have many different identities and ways of being, and can show respect for this diversity.
  • Reflect on their own identity and how family, community, and traditions help shape who they are, just as they do for the Anishinaabek.
  • Listen with care and learn from others’ stories and experiences, understanding that identity grows and changes across time and generations.

Essential Questions

  • How can stories like Fry Bread help us understand that there is no single way to be Anishinaabe, and why is it important to honor diversity within all communities?
  • In what ways do our families, communities, and traditions shape who we are, just as they do for the Anishinaabek?

Lesson Plan Materials

  • PowerPoint slides: Anishinaabek Identity and Diversity (Awareness Level)
  • Book: Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard ISBN 9781626727465
  • Worksheet: Anishinaabe Identity and Diversity

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