Fish Dance at Honor the Earth

• In this video, Indigenous dancers perform a social dance that shows the spawning rituals of fish as they swim upstream in the spring. 
• This dance was performed at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Reservation at the Honor the Earth Pow Wow. 

Positives

• The video represents a connection between culture, art, and climate action.
  
• The announcer at the beginning of the video explains the context of the dance. 

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should have some background knowledge on pow wows.

Differentiation

• In art or dance classes, students could discuss how the dancers mimic the movement of fish as they swim upstream.
• This video could be used as an introduction to a lesson on the life cycle of fish in a biology class.
• In ethics or social studies classes, students could discuss the role that culture plays in society and how Indigenous cultures have been devalued and disrespected both historically and in modern times.
• Science classes could discuss the question: what are the different threats to fish and how can we protect them?
• Other resources on this topic include this PBS video about Indigenous communities fighting for climate action, this Khan Academy video on sustainability in fishing and agriculture, and this podcast episode on problems within the commercial fishing industry.