Turtle Island Game
Instructions
- Print out the quiz questions (354 Kb).
- Each item on Turtle Island has a description to help you answer the quiz. Click on the name of the item (e.g. Maple Syrup) to go to the description.
- You may also print the descriptions separately (352 Kb).
Quiz Questions
- Download PDF (354 Kb).
- Download the Answers - PDF (133 Kb)
Level 1
- What "sweet treat" found on many breakfast tables was first tapped by First Nations, such as the Algonquin, in Eastern Canada?
- What special footwear help you to walk, hunt and work during the winter?
- What type of boat was built by many First Nations to travel down rivers and lakes?
- What tall, decorated poles are carved by First Nations, such as the Gitxsan, to tell stories and legends?
- What one-person boat is used by Inuit hunters and fishermen?
Check answers
- Maple Syrup
- Snowshoes
- Canoe
- Totem Pole
- Kayak
Level 2
- What traditional building was once called home by the Iroquois?
- What large, white animal is known as "Nanuk" by Inuit?
- What type of house is made from snow, but is very warm inside?
- What flat-tailed, hardworking animal was a big part of the Fur Trade?
- What triangle-shaped home is made from animal skins and can be easily moved?
Check answers
- Long House
- Polar Bear
- Igloo
- Beaver
- Tepees
Level 3
- What animal is used by Inuit for food and summer shelter?
- What important building is used by many First Nations for cleansing ceremonies?
- What animal was a source of food, clothing and tools to Plains Cree and Métis?
- What type of knife is used by Inuit women to cut meat and make clothing?
- What wooden cart could be pulled through mud, was easily repaired, and even floated?
Check answers
- Seal
- Sweat Lodge
- Bison
- Ulu Knife
- Red River Cart
Item Descriptions
Download PDF (352 Kb)
North / Winter
Polar Bear
Polar bears are very special to Inuit. Polar bear fur is used to make warm clothing, and the meat is an important source of food. There are many stories and legends about "Nanuk".
Ulu Knife
The Ulu knife is an important Inuit tool. It is a shell-shaped knife made of flat stone or metal. This sharp knife is used to cut meat, animal hides and for many other purposes.
Seal
The seal is a very special animal to Inuit. Seal meat is very nutritious and its skin is waterproof. Seal skin can be used to make summer houses and clothing. In the past, seal oil was burned in lamps for light and heat.
Snowshoes
Snowshoes of many shapes and sizes have been used by Inuit and First Nations for a very long time! These special shoes make it easier to walk on snow and hunt during the long winter months.
Igloo
Igloos are houses made from blocks of tightly packed snow. There are no trees in the Arctic, so Inuit found their own way to build houses to keep warm and protected from the winter wind.
East / Spring
Tepee
Plains First Nations, such as the Blackfoot and Sioux, built triangular homes called tepees. These shelters could be taken down and moved as bands followed migrating bison herds - their main source of food.
Fiddle
The fiddle is a very important part of Métis culture. Traditional fiddlers made their instruments from maple wood and birch bark and played them at dances called "jigs".
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees. It starts to "run" in the spring. First Nations in Eastern Canada started collecting and boiling sap to make this sweetener hundreds of years ago.
Bison
Bison (sometimes called buffalo) were very important to Plains Cree and Métis. Herds were hunted for food and clothing. No part of the animal was wasted. Even the bison's bones were used to make tools.
Drum
Drums are very important cultural and religious symbols in the Aboriginal community. Each community has its own way of making and style of playing the drum.
South / Summer
Canoe
There are many different kinds of canoes. Some First Nations built canoes with birch bark and strips of wood. Others carved canoes out whole from large cedar trees. Canoes are still a great way to travel!
Berry Bushes
The natural environement is very important to all First Peoples. First Nations have used plants to make food, teas and medicines for thousands of years.
Longhouse
Long houses were built by the Iroquois and Pacific Coast First Nations. They were made of wood and were large enough to house many families. Smoke from cooking fires escaped through holes cut in the roof.
Beaver
Beavers are a proud Canadian symbol. They were a very important part of the Fur Trade. First Nation and Métis hunters traded millions of beaver (and other animal) pelts with European traders.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport that was first played by First Nations youth. It is Canada's national summer sport!
West / Fall
Totem Pole
Many West Coast First Nations, including the Gitxsan and Haida, raise totem poles. These poles are carved from large tree trunks, and use images of animals and people to tell important stories.
Red River Cart
Red River carts were stronger and easier to fix than regular wagons. They even floated! These sturdy carts were pulled by horses or oxen, and used by Métis fur traders to carry supplies and other items.
Kayak
A kayak is a one-person boat. These small crafts were traditionally made from whale bones covered in walrus or seal skin. A kayak is well suited for hunting and fishing because it moves very quietly though water.
Inuksuk
Inuit have used these stone formations for hundreds of years to mark trails and pathways in the North, where there are very few natural landmarks.
Sweat Lodge
A sweat lodge is a sacred building for many First Nations, including the Cree and Saulteaux. This sauna-like structure is where many First Nation people go to share stories, pray, and cleanse their bodies.