Animal Totems and Masks

Animals are important to Indigenous peoples around the world, not only for food, clothing and tools, but for a spiritual connection to self and the natural world. Animals remind us of personality traits we, as humans, all aspire to achieve. They give us visions of how our lives could be if we lived more simply, and expressed pure emotions and thoughts.

In this package, I offer three different ways you can help your students connect to an Animal Totem (or Animal Spirit Guide) depending on their interactions with animals or understanding of animals.

I also have created a technique to create a box-style mask, similar to the head masks of the Nuu chah nulth First Peoples on the west coast of Vancouver Island, BC.

The first method is using specific questions the students can answer. The second method is using the Totem Birth Animals. Finally the last technique is using readers theatre and the adapted script, taken from the book 'I Am Raven,' The class then creates their own 'Story Pole' by selecting an animal.