Darren Barton EMH 450 Assessment 1

1. Darren Barton
11506936

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Antlers grow on members of the deer family
They are an extension of the animal’s skull
They are true bone and are a single structure
In most species, they only occur on males, except for
reindeer
Misconception : The number of points on an antler
indicates the age of the animal
Antler Casting occurs when a buck’s testosterone level
decreases
A layer of cells develop that absorb calcium, causing the
bone to weaken and become grainy and chambered
(Gross, Richard. J. Deer Antlers : Regeneration, Function, and Evolution.
Academic Press : 1983)

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Smooth, weathered surface
Bone white with some grey hues
Antler points are sharp, but slightly
rounded
All edges are smooth, they feel worn
Surface near skull is rough but still has a
weathered feel

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Surface near the skull feels grainy and
chambered, almost if something had chewed
on it
Surface near skull has feel of a rough tree bark
Dense and weighs approximately 1 lb
Core is exposed where it would touch the skull
Core of the bone is dense and rough
More discoloration occurs where antler would
have met the skull
There is some discoloration on the points

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Where did this antler come from?
What animal did this antler come from?
Who found this antler?
What season was this antler found in?
Was this antler found alone, or was there another
one near or close by?
Do antlers have a use once they have fallen off the
animal?
Are there any communities that have uses for
antlers?

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Do antlers have any cultural significance to any
Canadian communities?
What kind of relationship did Canadians in the past
have with the environment?
How do the physical features of a land influence the
way the land is used?
What are some of the characteristics of the natural
environment where this antler was found?
Are people, that live in the area where the antler
was found, sustained by the environment?

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Do any communities in Canada still rely on hunting
deer as a food source?
Are deer populations at healthy levels in
Ontario/Canada?
What are some common deer species found in
Ontario/Canada?
Do First Nation communities still hunt deer as they
did before?
Is hunting a key component of the Canadian
Identity?

12.  How
did people in the past
relate to the environment?
(Ontario Social Studies Curriculum. 2009. p. 86)

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What can be learned from the ways in which First
Nations lived in harmony with their environment?
How do physical features influence the ways in
which land is used?
What impact do human activities and different land
uses have on the environment?
What were the main differences between your day
– to – day life and the life of someone living in
Upper Canada in 1800?

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How can we reduce our impacts on the
environment?
How does the way land is used influence local
communities and local jobs?
Do human activities and decisions about land use
alter the environment?
What are some of the characteristics of the natural
environment in regions of Ontario?

15. The Royal Ontario Museum
My visit to the museum revealed some of the similarities and differences in
various aspects of everyday life of selected groups living in Canada. The
museum also revealed many of the characteristics of the natural
environment in Canada.
Visit to Native Reserve in Ontario
A previous visit to a Native Reserve revealed some of the key components of
the First Nations Identity and allowed for insight into some of the
previously practiced traditions that are still upheld today. I came to
further understand the significance the First Nations relationship is to
the environment from a more personal perspective.

16. Makuk: A New History of Aboriginal-White
Relations
This online article reveals information about the history and environmental
issues among the First Nations people of Canada. It reveals some of the
relationships First Nations have with natural resource exploitation and
the complex relationship many First Nations communities have with the
environment today based on their traditions and way of life.
The Kids Book of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
This book reveals many of the traditional relationships that First Nations in
Canada have had with the environment. It gives both a traditional and
cultural perspective on how these communities related to the
environment, both physically and in a spiritual context.

17. Links to Social Studies Thinking Concepts and
Citizenship
The item represents “cause and consequence” because it exemplifies how
the way a group interacts with the environment, directly has either
positive or negative consequences. If we over-hunt, future generations
will not be able to sustain themselves by using their own environment.
The item represents “interrelationships” as it involves not only how First
Nations communities have complex relationships with each other, but
with the land and the animals that feed their communities.

18. Links to Social Studies Thinking Concepts and
Citizenship
This item represents aspects of “citizenship” because it is our duty as a
citizen of this country to protect the rights of others to live off the land
and protect the healthy relationships some groups in Canada have with
the land. It examines the relationship of power some hold over land in
Canada and the struggle for rights to use this land in a traditional and
historical way. A relationship with the natural environment is not always
seen as a right in Canada, but as a privilege by many groups. This is a
conflict to other groups which seek to take power over land and ignore
the duties to protect it.

19. Overall Expectations
A.3. Identify some of the communities in Canada around the beginning of the nineteenth
century, and describe their relationships to the land and to each other.
Specific Expectations
A3.1. Describe how some different communities in Canada related to each other and the
land during this period.
A3.5. Describe the impact of some different kinds of settlements on the environment.
A3.6. Describe how some different communities in Canada related to each other during
this period.
These expectations relate to how communities in Canada have traditionally and culturally
been tied to the land and the environment. They identify the importance that the
land and environment have had for First Nations and for settlers and how this has
created a complex interrelationship between the two sides. The Canadian
relationship with the land is a historical and significant one.

20. Look Inside
This book by Janice May Udry identifies the importance our land has on our
behaviour, culture, way of life. It connects to the item in that our land
provides for us, and that there are different ways to appreciate and
interact with the environment.
Flight of the Honey Bee
This book by Raymond Huber identifies how the relationship between land
and animal and human is complex. It examines the interrelationships
between nature and its natural order that can be altered by human
interaction. This is a great connection to the item because it explains
how many of these natural systems have long histories but can be
altered quickly.

21. I have learned that people in the past had not only complex relationships with the environment, but these relationships were
not only physical ones, they were both spiritual and cultural. The relationships people had in the past with the
environment differed based on what group they were associated with, and what their primary reason was to have a
relationship with the natural environment. The settlers used the land to develop manufacturing and utilize the
environment for profit and personal gain, while the First Nations used the land to support their communities and
families through a spiritual relationship.
It appears that through this item, inquiry into the fundamental reasons why different groups in Canada use the land the way
they do, stems from the historical approach they originally took toward the land and environment. First Nations use
elements from the land to make art, clothes, shelter, and tools for spiritual ceremony. The settler uses the land more
often to push development in a progressive direction or to build tools for further development. When First Nations
extract from the land, it is gentle and forgiving. The historical nature of the settler is to extract with speed and develop a
quick sense of “power” over the land to achieve goals driven by production.
The symbol of a deer antler lying in the forest defines this complex relationship between how groups in Canada relate to the
environment. One would view it as a spiritual journey of an animal that could be used to feed and shelter a family.
Another would look at it as an obsticle in the way of development of a water or mineral resource. Our histories define
us, this is no different when it comes to the interrelationships Canadians have with the environment.

22. Huber, Raymond. The Flight of the Honey Bee. (2013). Massachusetts :
Candlewick Press.
Lutz, John Sutton. Makuk : A New History of Aboriginal-White Relations.
(2010). UBC Press.
Ontario Ministry of Education. (2009). The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8:
Social Studies. Queens Printer for Ontario.
Silvey, Diane. The Kids Book of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada. (2005).
Toronto: Kids Can Press Ltd.
Udry, Janice May. A Nice Tree. (1987). United States : Harper Collins
Publishers.