Kelly-Lee Assinewe is from Sagamok Anishnawbek and is the Coordinator for N’Swakamok Native Alternative School which provides, community and culturally based education for students at the N’Swakamok Friendship Center. Indigenous Education is a life-long education that is holistic and includes the mind, body, and spirit of students. It is education that incorporates a diversity of teaching methods in a safe, inclusive, and non-judgemental place of learning. It is community and culturally based and includes Elders, Knowledge Holders, and land-based learning experiences in Indigenous languages and it contributes to a sense of pride for Indigenous students. Indigenous education needs to be self-determining; there needs to be more Indigenous Teachers and Staff, Principals, and Trustees in positions of power.
