This term, Division 5 learned about the history of the Métis sash, or ceinture fléchée. We tried our hand (or rather our fingers) at a textile technique called “finger weaving,” used by Indigenous peoples all over North America. Here is a video about some of the history of the Métis sash.
There are different styles of finger weaving, and some can be very complex, so we started simply with using five loops (check out the instruction video here).
Students worked in pairs to help each other learn the process. One student held the yarn while the other did the weaving. Weaving was like learning some new dance steps, but once we understood the pattern we were flying!
We started with two colours, but then some people tried three or four or even five colours for their second try. More experimentation to come! We also tried some other methods of finger weaving that got us closer to the actual process.
Students practiced their paragraph writing to accompany their weaving, to be displayed at the Student-Led Conferences. Their writing should give some information about who the Métis people are, and students’ experience with the process of learning and doing finger weaving.
As students progress in their school experience, they are challenged to take on greater responsibility in a variety of areas: with their academics, their work-habits and responsibilities, and with their social-emotional regulation. As we build community in our classroom, it’s important that students are a part of deciding the tone and expectations of our shared learning space. Some of the questions we’ve explored in the first month of school have been: