Discover Your Family's Story Through Special Artifacts!

A family artifact is a special object your family keeps to remember the past. It holds memories and stories about the people in your family. You can learn so much from these special objects!

A family artifact is different from a regular everyday object. What makes it special is the memories and history behind it. Even a small, simple object can be a treasured artifact.

You can explore Family Stories to learn even more about how families share their history with you.

There are many kinds of family artifacts you might find in your home. Here are some examples you might know:

• A photograph a saved picture that helps you remember people and special times.
• A letter a written note that shares news from long ago.
• A quilt a handmade blanket passed down through families.
• An old toy shows how children once played long ago.
• A carved object like a totem or soapstone figure that shows cultural traditions.

You might also find old recipe cards, drums, fiddles, moccasins, or fishing nets kept as family artifacts. Each one tells a story about your family's life and work.

Your grandparents often share old objects and stories with you. They have lived longer and hold many family memories. Parents also pass keepsakes to their children.

Community elders help keep cultural traditions alive. Museums store and protect important artifacts so everyone can learn from them. When a relative shows you a family artifact, listen carefully and ask questions about its story.

You can also learn about Family Celebrations to see how families share their traditions in other ways too.

Family artifacts help you learn about your family's history, traditions, and the lives of relatives who lived before you. They connect you to your past in a personal way.

A family artifact can tell you stories about what your family was like long ago. It can show you what work your family did, what they believed, and where they came from. You can feel proud and grateful because artifacts connect you to your family.

Explore Then and Now Comparisons to see how life has changed from the past to today.

You should store family artifacts safely and handle them gently. This way, they can be shared with future family members someday. Caring for artifacts means the memories last for a long time.

When you pass down a family artifact, you give a special object to a younger family member. This keeps the family's history and memories alive across generations.

Family Artifact: A special object that your family keeps because it holds meaning or memories from the past. For example, a quilt made by your great-grandmother is a family artifact.

Photograph: A saved picture that helps you remember people and special times from the past. Families keep old photographs so they can look back and remember loved ones.

Letter: A written note that shares news or stories from long ago. An old letter from a great-great-grandparent is a special written artifact.

Quilt: A handmade blanket that is passed down through families. A quilt made by your great-grandmother is a family artifact because it was created by a family member in the past.

Heritage: The traditions and history passed down in your family. Your heritage helps you learn where your family came from and what is important to them.

Pass Down: To give a special object to a younger family member over time. Passing down an artifact keeps the family's memories alive.

History: What happened in your family's past. Family history is the story of events, people, and experiences that happened in your family before today.

Keepsake: A special object kept to remember a person or time. Keepsakes are often passed from parents to their children.

You can ask an older family member to show you a special object from the past. Listen to the story behind it and ask questions. This is one of the best ways to learn about your family history.

You might also look at old photographs with a grandparent or parent. Ask them who is in the picture and what was happening. You will discover amazing stories about your family!

Learn about Cultural Foods and Dress and Family Origins to find out even more about where your family came from.

Learning about family artifacts helps you get ready for bigger ideas. You will soon explore Using Historical Sources and Family and Community History to learn how people study the past.

You can also connect what you learn here to topics like Generational Changes, Immigration Stories, and First Peoples Oral Histories. All of these topics help you understand how families share and remember their history.

Family artifacts connect to many other topics you will explore. Here is how they are all linked to what you are learning:

• Family Stories You will learn how families share their history through stories, just like they do through artifacts.
• Family Celebrations You will discover how special events and traditions are part of your family's history, just like artifacts.
• Generational Changes You will see how life has changed from your grandparents' time to today, which artifacts can show you.
• Then and Now Comparisons You will compare how things looked and worked long ago compared to now.
• Cultural Foods and Dress You will explore how food and clothing are also part of your family's cultural history.
• Family Origins You will learn where your family came from, which artifacts can help you discover.
• First Peoples Oral Histories You will learn how Indigenous families share their history through stories and special objects.
• Immigration Stories You will hear about families who came to Canada from other places, and the artifacts they brought with them.
• Using Historical Sources You will learn how to use objects and stories to find out about the past.
• Family and Community History You will explore how your family's history is part of a bigger community story.