HeartSmart Kids™ - Storytelling

HeartSmart Kids ™ (HSK) is a powerful resource created in partnership with Indigenous organizations to help develop a better understanding and awareness of heart and brain health. The resource includes Indigenous health perspectives and promotes behaviours that contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

In building digital offerings around HeartSmart Kids™ (HSK), we hope to further support educators and students in their knowledge and practice of wholistic health. Digital storytelling methods acknowledge the sharing of oral stories as rich and legitimate knowledge sources that enhance children’s learning through elements of narrative, identity, and writing. Storytelling combines voice, image and print with digital use of modern technology to incorporate traditional indigenous learning methods.

This series of videos feature stories that enhance the themes and lessons from HeartSmart Kids™, by highlighting culture from across the country. As the knowledge holders, the storytellers will enhance the HSK learning experience while highlighting different world views. By sharing their stories, they helped us strengthen the wholistic health concept within HSK.

Our first series focuses on wholistic health and living the good life (mino-pimatisiwin (Cree/Ojibwe/Ojibwe-Cree), honso aynai (Dene), tokatakiya wichoni washte (Dakota)).

Paula Weasel Head

Paula Weasel Head, traditional name is Stealing in the Daytime Woman, is a Jingle Dress Dance from the Blood Tribe, part of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Southern Alberta. Jingle Dress Dancing has impacted Paula and her family’s holistic health, physically, socially, spiritually, emotionally. Through Jingle Dress Dancing, Paula and her family have travelled great distances and have met so many people who started as friends and have now become family. Enjoy the beautiful video below of Paula and her family’s story.

Extension Activities

HSK At Home: Choose from the following activities to complete from HSK at Home when viewing this video.

Holistic Health and the Healing Aspects of Musical Expression

Warm Your Heart Dance

The Thoughtful Beat

HeartSmart Kids Books: Visit hskids.ca/heartsmartkids/ to order or re-order your HeartSmart Kids Books! When viewing this video, you can follow along with the following activities from the print books:

Grade K-1

Lyrics in Action, Action Rhymes

Grade 2-3

Traditional Knowledge of Music and Dance, Tell Us a Story, The Thoughtful Beat

Grade 4-6

Warm Your Heart Dance, Traditional Knowledge of Music and Dance

Jaron Weasel Bear

Jaron Weasel Bear, Blackfoot name is Singing in the Water is from Piikani Nation in Alberta. Jaron is very passionate about pow wow and singing and has been singing since he was approximately 5 years old. In high school, he started his first drum group, named Buffalo Child and has continued to drum and sing throughout his life. Watch the video below to learn more about Jaron’s gift of singing, drumming and spiritual health. Also, enjoy viewing two special additional video performances.

Extension Activities

HSK At Home: Choose from the following activities to complete from HSK at Home when viewing this video.

Holistic Health and the Healing Aspects of Musical Expression

Warm Your Heart Dance

The Thoughtful Beat

Grade K-1

Lyrics in Action, Beat of the Drum

Grade 2-3

Traditional Knowledge of Music and Dance, Tell Us a Story, The Drum, Making a Drum, The Thoughtful Beat

Grade 4-6

Traditional Knowledge of Music and Dance, The Drum, Making a Drum

Dallas Arcand

Dallas Arcand is a dancer, musician, motivational speaker and storyteller from Kipohtakaw Cree Nation, Alberta. Dallas, whose Indigenous name is Dancing Buffalo Man, is a three-time world hoop dance champion who combines contemporary Indigenous styles of dance including Fancy, Grass, Jigging, Break and Hoop dancing in both competition and motivational workshops. He enjoys sharing his culture through athletic and creative art forms. Watch the video below to see how Dallas reflects on what wholistic health means to him.

Extension Activities

HSK At Home: Choose from the following activities to complete from HSK at Home when viewing this video.

Activities I like best

Warm Your Heart Dance

Grade K-1

Path, Parks & Play, Why Do We Need Water

Grade 2-3

Create Your Own Community Garden, Traditional Knowledge of Music and Dance, All About Water, Why Do We Need Water, Tell Us a Story

Grade 4-6

Warm Your Heart Dance, Traditional Knowledge of Music and Dance, All About Water, Why Do We Need Water

Peatr Thomas

Peatr Thomas is an Inninew and Anishinabe self-taught artist and youth workshop facilitator currently living in Winnipeg, MB – treaty 1 territory. Peatr shares his teachings, skills, knowledge and life experiences with youth and communities as he travels across Turtle Island (Canada). Watch the video below to hear about how eating from the land is an important piece of wholistic health for Peatr.

Extension Activities

HSK At Home: Choose from the following activities to complete from HSK at Home when viewing this video.

Tell us a story

Grade K-1

Animal Connections, Balance & Variety

Grade 2-3

Memory – Traditional Foods, Balance & Variety, Tell Us a Story

Grade 4-6

Linking Animals to Ourselves, Cultural and Dietary Preferences

DerRic Starlight

DerRic Starlight is a writer, actor and comedian from TsuuTina Nation, Alberta. When he is not writing or producing for television and film, DeRic tours and performs at special events with his cast of puppets and over 350 voices. Watch the video below to see DeRic’s puppets, including Granny and Wind Dancer, explain what healthy living means to them.

Extension Activities

HSK At Home: Choose from the following activities to complete from HSK at Home when viewing this video.

Tell us a story

Eat Healthy, Together!

Grade K-1

Traditional Indigenous Games, Fruits Salad Fridays, Path, Parks & Play

Grade 2-3

Heart Healthy Alphabet Soup, Traditional Games, Tell Us a Story

Grade 4-6

Healthy Food Choices, Traditional Games