History
Neecheewam’s White Butterfly Program works with young people to improve their lives.
Neecheewam’s White Butterfly Program sees child behaviour as another language that need to be learned. Their staff look at the children they work with as a whole, an important philosophical concept of Indigenous education, which they believe to be an integrated component of daily life.
Cheryll Welke shares about her community involvement volunteering in schools by talking about her Métis culture and identity.
Cheryll Welke volunteers in classrooms in High Level, Alberta to engage with students through the sharing of moose meat and bannock and talking about the significance of Métis contribution to Canadian society. Welke wants Métis youth to be proud of who they and understand how much Métis people have contributed to the development of Canada.
Aurora College’s Inuvik campus has two large McPherson tents where a variety of activities take place. Elementary schools, high schools, Elders, and community members use this space. Some activities include medicine walks, fish camps, and story-telling.
Aurora College’s Inuvik campus has two large McPherson tents where a variety of activities take place. Elementary schools, high schools, Elders, and community members use this space. Some activities include medicine walks, fish camps, and story-telling.
The Principal of the Dene Tha Community School, Carlito Somera, discusses the school’s commitment to holding fall and winter Cultural Camps for students in grades 4-12.
Carlito Somera is the Principal of the Dene Tha Community School located in Treaty 8, in the community of Chateh, Alberta, northwest of High Level. Somera discusses the Dene Tha’s Cultural Camps offered both in the fall and winter. During the fall camp, students from Grades 4-12 attend the Cultural Camp held over a five day period. There are many academic outcomes that are attached to the Cultural Camps. High school students earn and gain credits as part of the curriculum.
This land-based learning portion of the curriculum includes the Dene language and culture. With the leadership and support of local Dene hunters and language specialists, students learn how to prepare, cut, and dry meat. Students also participate in other cultural activities such as berry picking, willow gathering, storytelling, and playing traditional hand games. In the winter, the Cultural Camp is held at Bistcho Lake. Students travel by vehicle on ice roads to the summertime fly-in fishing location and stay in cabins during their visit. Some of the cultural activities taught are how to ice fish.
Indigenous education is important, not only for those who carry on traditional ways, but for Indigenous lawyers and politicians who would be better able to advocate for Indigenous peoples.
Peter Cardinal is an Elder from the Tallcree First Nation and has experience attending a Separate Day School. He shares his experience of going to a Day School and the impact of trying to learn English as a Cree person. Cardinal is an advocate for attending school to attain an education. He has presented at the school in High Level to share his knowledge, experience, and his passion for playing the fiddle. He stresses the importance of education in making life choices and hopes that hearing him share his experience works towards healing. Cardinal enjoys meeting students and sharing stories and music. He explained that the younger students ask a few questions and are really interested in his fiddle playing.
The SENĆOŦEN Survival School and Language Apprenticeship programs value our history and teach the ways and beliefs of our W̱SÁNEĆ homeland and worldview.
SENĆOŦEN Survival School: This program is a fully SENĆOŦEN immersion experience (EWENE W̱ENITEM ḴEN SḰÁL – no English Language is spoken) for Children 5-6 or at the Kindergarten program level. Our program teachers meet the Ministry Prescribed Learning Outcomes of the Kindergarten Curriculum. Children will spend 3.5 hours in classroom Learning the Kindergarten Provincial Curriculum through a SENĆOŦEN medium. For 2.5 hours per day, children will also learn through engagement with nature in the playgrounds and forests around our school and at beaches and culturally significant places. Children can enter the LE,NOṈET Immersion stream at this level.
SENĆOŦEN Language Apprenticeships: The goal of the Mentor-Apprentice Program is to facilitate the development of fluent speakers of SENĆOŦEN language where fluent speakers are partnered with committed learners in an immersion environment in the home and on the land. This is a one-on-one language immersion program. A “mentor” (a fluent speaker of a language) is paired with an “apprentice” (learner).
An examination of the historic and current issues relevant to First Nations land use and community planning.
This course looks at land use and community planning in First Nation communities across Canada from a variety of perspectives. The course includes an examination of the history of First Nations planning in Canada; review of the portions of the Indian Act relevant to planning and land use; current trends in First Nations planning (comprehensive community plans and land codes); treaties and planning; and local government – First Nations relationship building. The course aims to acquaint students with the issues that shape current practice in land use and community planning in First Nations across Canada, with a focus on BC.
Alumni of the program, Cheryl Mandeville, shares her experience learning out on the land. Dechinta means “in the bush” in many of Dene languages in the Northwest Territories. Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning believes in supporting self-determining and sustainable Northern communities rooted in Indigenous knowledge and values. Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning is […]
Alumni of the program, Cheryl Mandeville, shares her experience learning out on the land.
Dechinta means “in the bush” in many of Dene languages in the Northwest Territories. Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning believes in supporting self-determining and sustainable Northern communities rooted in Indigenous knowledge and values.
Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning is internationally recognized for its innovative and vital research and university program delivery. Dechinta delivers Indigenous centered arts, culture, language and educational programming in an innovative land-based environment. Its program supports diverse needs and inclusive participation.
Dechinta means “in the bush” in many of Dene languages in the Northwest Territories. Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning believes in supporting self-determining and sustainable Northern communities rooted in Indigenous knowledge and values. Alumni of the program, Jasmine Vogt, shares her experience. Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning is internationally recognized for its innovative […]
Dechinta means “in the bush” in many of Dene languages in the Northwest Territories. Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning believes in supporting self-determining and sustainable Northern communities rooted in Indigenous knowledge and values. Alumni of the program, Jasmine Vogt, shares her experience. Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning is internationally recognized for its innovative and vital research and university program delivery. Dechinta delivers Indigenous centered arts, culture, language and educational programming in an innovative land-based environment. Its program supports diverse needs and inclusive participation.
BushKids is exploring the ethical space between Indigenous education and Western education principles in Yellowknife, NT.
BushKids co-founders are both trained as forest and nature school practitioners. Chloe Dragon Smith is a Dënesųłiné – Metis woman from Yellowknife, who grew up learning on-the-land through the Indigenous education principles of her family. Wendy Lahey is a non-Indigenous educator trained in the Western education system and has lived in the north for a long time. The two women are committed to working with the community, as possible, to create a curriculum that equally honours these systems of teaching and learning on the land.
The goal of BushKids is ultimately to affect the public education system and ensure all northern students spend regular time on the land throughout the school year. Programming is currently offered throughout the school year for pilot classes of all ages, from early childhood to high school. BushKids educators also work with teachers in public education systems with the goal of enabling them to bring their classes outside as part of their learning.
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