What is a caribou?
What other animals are caribou related to? What do caribou eat? What animals might hunt and kill caribou for food? Discuss with children how some native peoples may have world views different from the world view of their own culture. In the stories of many of the world s aboriginal peoples (the original occupants of a given land), animals are treated as though they are human. For example, among the Eskimo, an original story would refer to the animals as people (the rabbit people, the seal people, the caribou people). One possible explanation is the belief that non-human animals have spirits, as humans do; therefore, they are our brothers and sisters. Animal groups are sometimes referred to as clans, as in the bear clan. Among many native peoples, including the Eskimo, human beings had animal ancestors. The name of a given tribe or clan often makes reference to this animal ancestor. For this reason, the animals themselves are referred to as people, honoring them as ancestors. Finally, a
