November is a time when the weather is becoming colder, and our section of Mother Earth is freezing over. Animals are getting ready to hibernate and plant life is sparse.
In Hul’qumi’num November is referred to as Tth’al’xwumutsun, when the ground is glistening from frost or ice.
In Sencoten it is Weselanew,falling leaves.
In Tŝilhqotʼin, November is “Benen Lhiz-Qwen-Yex Ts’enish” – meaning it usually snows in November, and was a time to move into underground houses.
For Kwak’wala speakers, it is Gwaxsam – meaning Dog Salmon time.
In Nisg̱a’a lands, November is Gwilatkw, blanketing of new snow.
Nêhiyawêwin speakers call this month Iyikopiwipēsim, the Frost Moon.

With the addition of warmer clothes November is a great month for adventures in the outdoors to witness all of the changes happening out on the land! Can you think of places near your community that would be beautiful places for children to experience the seasonal changes?
It is also an exciting time to take children to see examples of traditional language being shown in community. Elders or Knowledge Keepers can accompany to give the teachings of the meanings! This can be on hospital signs, welcome signs, First Nations’ Government offices, arenas, schools etc.
Do you have places in your community to walk with the children to see Indigenous language signage? Which Elders could you invite?
Special Days in November:
- November 7th, 2023 is National Inuit Day
National Inuit Day is a day to celebrate Inuit people and honour the accomplishments they have made to protect and promote the Inuit way of life. It is also to make sure their voices continue to get heard as the heads of the Inuit Circumpolar Council that works to promote Inuit rights, protect the Arctic environment and safeguard the Inuit way of life.
How does your program reflect Inuit culture in the classroom? What materials are provided to children and families of the program to learn about Inuit culture?
For Inuit Recipe Ideas to use in your program please check out:
- Nunavummiut Cookbook 2 (nrbhss.ca)
- Layout 1 (tunngavik.com)

Dates to Note:
Does your community have an Indigenous veteran or veterans to celebrate? Do families have an Indigenous veteran they would like to honour?
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National Indigenous Veterans Day: November 8, 2023.
First commemorated in 1994 Indigenous Veterans Day is a Memorial Day to honour the service of First Nations, Metis and Inuit veterans who have served and made monumental contributions to the war efforts – unfortunately due to the Indian Act, the process of recognition was delayed.
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Remembrance Day: November 11, 2023.
Memorials and ceremonies to honour Canada’s veterans will occur across the country. Share places in the community that families can take their children to take part. Remembrance Day
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Louis Riel Day: November 21, 2023.
The Métis Nation of BC. commemorates Louis Riel Day on November 21st of every year! Louis Riel was a Métis leader who led the Métis resistance and was hung for his actions.
“We celebrate Louis Riel as it was important Indigenous people had someone to stand up to keep our Indigenous languages and to keep our right to be out on the land with the animals to hunt and keep our traditional lively hood… He gave up his life to stand up for these rights so it is important to celebrate him!” — Phil Gladue, MNBC Senator and AHSABC Elders Council
“Keep our Métis history alive… to look forward to the future with pride in who we are as proud Métis peoples.” — Elder Helene, Wilson MNBC Elder
“Louis Riel Day is for me a day of remembrance for the correction and misjudgement. I’ve always liked the quote by Louis Riel that ‘My people will sleep for one hundred but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.” — Maria Laboucan, Awasisak Achakos Elder

Does your program celebrate Louis Riel Day?
In honour of Louis Riel Day, AHSABC previously gifted each program a Métis resource kit into the classroom. Do you have ideas and pictures to share on how these items have been utilized? Please send to michelle.gravelle@ahsabc.com.
For more Metis Resource ideas please check out the following link:
https://haileyburyheritagemuseum.com/gift-shop/rowin-nolan-and-the-brave-little-beaver/
Programming Planning Ideas:
This month we have gathered ideas based on the weather, changes to mother earth after the Fall equinox, seasonal cultural teachings and teachings that reflect the important dates in November!
Science Topics to Explore for the Month of November:
Process of water turning to ice: How does ice and icebergs form.
Snowflakes: How do they form? Have children examine snowflakes under microscopes, if possible.
Why do animals hibernate: Which specific animals hibernate? How do animals stay warm?
Why is the weather getting colder?
Art Centre:

Large pieces of black paper, white chalk, white paint, glue sticks, silver and blue glitter, white tissue paper, holographic paper, foam pieces, foam snowflake stickers, magazines that feature foods, people, Arctic animals, Arctic animal and snowflake stencils, cotton balls, popsicle sticks, cardboard pieces etc… Hang pictures of log cabins, different images of snow flakes, photos of children playing in the snow from the previous year, Arctic animal photos in the art area at the children’s level to encourage creativity.
Craft:

3D décor/ ornaments to hang in the centre or send home.
- Items from nature can be used to make seasonal 3D décor that children can arrange into the pattern of, decorate or paint.
These can be made with Plaster of Paris or a hardening clay and molded into shapes such as tree shapes to represent spruce and pine or a snowflake, pair of mukluks, moccasins, mittens or any other shapes children choose!
How to Make Plaster of Paris Ornaments | ehow
Ornament and Handprint Clay Recipe – Food.com
- Pinecones can be decorated with glitter and white paint to be made to look like snowy pinecones.
DIY Snowy Pinecone Ornaments – Fun Kids’ Holiday Craft (gingercasa.com)
- A variety of items can be offered to children to have them create pinecones into woodland forest creatures.
Make Your Own Woodland Pinecone Creatures – A Reason For Homeschool
Sensory:

- Have water, ice cubes and Arctic animals in the water table. Let the children see the ice melting in the water.
- Freeze plastic items into ice cube form put in the sensory table or on trays with cups of warm water, plastic butter knives and let children try to get items out of the cubes.
- Make tabletop sensory bins with Arctic animals, foam balls in different sizes, cotton balls, clear glass marbles, fake snow, foam snowflakes, tweezers, spoons. Individual tabletop sensory bins are a great activity for children to have some time for reflection and quiet play!
An Iceberg Sensory Bin (colorthemoon.com)
Arctic Sensory Bin for Winter (funlearningforkids.com)
Winter Sensory Bins for Toddlers and Preschoolers | Happy Toddler Club
Cooking / Food Prep / Gathering:

This is a great month for lots of warm foods for little bellies! Ideas such as cornmeal or stone-ground oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts for breakfast, warm breads full of grains to accompany soups and stews with traditional ingredients for lunch. Children will enjoy hot out of the oven fruit/veggie loaves and muffins with low sugar content and traditional items such as local berries that were picked and frozen.
Apple Acorn Squash Muffins Recipe (1-bowl!) – Flora & Vino (floraandvino.com)
Stone Soup Cooking Activity:
Thank you to Sheena Rogers for submitting this idea from Little Moccasins and Little Mukluks in Williams Lake.
At our program, we would read the story of Stone Soup at circle time. After we would take the children out to choose a rock, we would boil the rock, so it was sanitized. The next day, children would bring in vegetables, and we also had vegetables on hand for the children to contribute to the soup. The children would help cut the vegetables; we would add all the ingredients to the pot. The Chef would then cook the soup, and we would serve it the next day for lunch.
Playful Additions:
Building Block/ Construction Area:

Add baskets full cotton balls, cotton batting, arctic animals to the block area. Kayaks, dog sled, skidoo and red river cart toys can be added if they are available. Move the block area close to windows so children can watch falling snow, rain, etc.
Dramatic Play Area:

Make your dramatic play area look like a warm and cozy log cabin. Have rocking chairs, a kitchen play area, warm and cozy clothes for the children to dress in robes, slippers, traditional mukluks, moccasins, hide mittens, capotes, fur and other traditional style hats. Empty hot chocolate cans, tea boxes, baking powder, salt containers, oil containers for children to pretend making cocoa and Bannock. Tea set, pot, wooden spoons, soup pot, plastic potatoes and other veggies to make soup.
Reading Area:

Move your reading area to a quiet cozy place in the room. This could be under a loft in a nice quiet corner of the room away from busy traffic areas, add furs, fuzzy blankets, large pillows etc.
Feature books about life in the Arctic, the Inuit people, Arctic animals.
Outdoor Ideas:

The weather is getting colder! Gather donations of warm clothing and feature a sharing bin this month for families to select items they need!
Depending on location, the sleds and toboggans may be ready to come out close to the middle or end of the month. Have parents, Elders, volunteers over to do a sliding day on a safe and accessible hill, take the children out on toboggans for a walk around the community.
Take the children out to witness frozen ponds and other changes to the land. This is a perfect time to have elders introduce new words in traditional language, ie. snow, the word for November, ice, words related to temperature change. Invite families to get language teachings outdoors with the children and staff.
- Have traditional tea and hot chocolate outside! Invite Elders to sit and have tea with the children and tell stories outdoors.
- Have active gross motor games outside: such as duck, duck, goose, red light, green light, the farmer in the dell, jumping jack contests. All these games will not only help keep children warm they are great games to switch words into traditional language for children to gain familiarity through repetition.
Circle Time Area:

November is a great month to give teachings on healing trees such as the cedar, spruce, pine. Invite parents/ Elders/ Knowledge Keepers, community members to share teachings and stories on these sacred trees and others that may be specifically sacred to your local nations. Post pictures of the trees!
Bring in spruce boughs, pine needles and cedar for the children to smell and touch! Read books that feature these sacred trees. Show traditional products that are special to Indigenous groups such as cedar hats, cedar rope, pine needle boxes and birch bark canoes and baskets.
Stand Like a Cedar – Indigenous & First Nations Kids Books – Strong Nations
Do Trees Have Mothers? (2022) – Indigenous & First Nations Kids Books – Strong Nations
Elder Involvement:

Have elders and knowledge keepers in to teach the children how to make bannock, traditional soups and stews, baked and fried fish and other recipes especially those traditional food recipes that contain large amounts of vitamin C perfect for fighting off the cold and flu season.
Have Elders compile a cold weather recipe book to send home to families!
Invite Elders to come dressed warm so they can do teachings in the outdoors. Check in with Elders to see if they need assistance to gather warm winter items! Have Elders plan teachings on the sacred trees that are important to their nation(s).
Parent Involvement Ideas:

November brings dry air indoors and the cold and flu season. This is the perfect month to boil medicines such as cedar and spruce and burn medicines such as sage and sweetgrass for air purification in your program! Let parents and children know this is what you will be doing and the teachings as to why!
Send medicines that are used by local nations home with families with instructions included that were created by a Knowledge Keeper or Elder.
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Have Elders/Knowledge Keepers host medicine workshops with families for common illnesses that are popular in the winter months.
- Gather parents bi-weekly to get together and work on traditional crafts for the upcoming gifting season. Have a health nurse attend the PAC meeting this month to answer cold and flu questions and concerns!
Outreach / Activity kits:


November is a great month to celebrate and highlight your programs cook! Indigenous food is the star of every community at events and feasts and in homes and that is also the case in our programs! Every cook and child has their favourite recipes. Send home a favourite recipe with ingredients as well as a picture and introduction of your program chef/cook.
Lofty Ideas:

Gather pinecones and fallen branches from trees to use in your environment.
Hang white canopies to replicate falling snow! Add twinkling lights and snowflakes! Have warm furs under the canopy and traditional stories, and stories with snow and snowflakes. A fire made from felt or other craft items can go in the middle of the furs!
Resources & Related Articles:
- Nature from home: 6 traditional medicines you can make at home | Great Lakes Guide
- Nishiiyuu Department Launches Traditional Medicine Cards
- Carrier Traditional Medicines Part 5 – Animal Medicine
- Ancestral Knowledge and Northwest Native Plants
- Supporting Children with Disabilities/Exceptionalities Outside
- Activities for Families
Book of the Month:
Check out our fall book list on our website!
Title: How Frog Brought Winter
Author: Richard Van Camp, (Tłichǫ Dene) shared by Tłichǫ Elder Joe Lazare Zoe of Gameti, Northwest Territories
Illustrator: Carla Rae Taylor
BOOK OF THE MONTH! How Frog brought Winter, by Richard Van Camp, (Tłichǫ Dene) shared by Tłichǫ Elder Joe Lazare Zoe of Gameti, Northwest Territories. This story reminds us that everyone is needed in the great circle of life, and that everyone has gifts to share. Illustrated by Dene artist Carla Rae Taylor.
Recipe of the Month: Breaded Boneless Goose From Nunavut
Ingredients:
Goose breast and leg muscles
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 Shake n’ Bake bag or seasoned fine breadcrumbs.
1 bag (for flour)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut goose into bite-sized pieces or thin strips and cook in pot on low temperature 2 on stove-top burner for about ½ hour. Drain water from goose, put goose into a bag with flour, shake it well, discard leftover flour. Stir eggs in bowl. Mix goose in eggs, then transfer goose into Shake ‘n Bake bag, shake well. Put goose into oven and cook to desired crispness, 15 minutes minimum. Tip: for thick and crispy coating of Shake ‘n Bake, repeat step 4 with another bag.

For more Northern inspired recipes from Inuit home cooks from Nunavut please check out:
Traditional foods and wellness link of the month: New Canning Guide Offers Info on a Favourite Food Preservation Method