Wellness/Health
Developing models for nation-specific education through language revitalization and community engagement.
Developing models for nation-specific education through language revitalization and community engagement.
Winnipeg School Division’s Aboriginal Graduation Coaches program provides multi-year support and guidance to students on their journey from Grade 9 to graduation.
In 2015, the Winnipeg School Division started an Aboriginal Graduation Coaches program which is an initiative that is focused on assisting Indigenous students to graduate high school. Winnipeg School Division’s Aboriginal Graduation Coaches program provides multi-year support and guidance to students on their journey from Grade 9 to graduation. The Aboriginal Graduation Coach Program focuses on the following six areas: Relationships & Mentoring, Transitions, Culture, Academics, Career Planning and Family Engagement. The focus of the Grad Coach is to increase Aboriginal graduation rates. Additional goals of the program include: Improve Aboriginal student attendance, course grades, and credit attainment; identify factors contributing to drop out rates; identify and create plans to overcome graduation barriers; improve transitions from junior high to high school, as well as to post-secondary/workforce; facilitate high school and post-secondary planning; and create a graduation team of support for the students. Link to a video about the program https://vimeo.com/225579583
Hailey Prince details the Nak’azdli Cultural Centre’s aims and initiatives of capturing and maintaining Dakelh traditional knowledge through methods of traditional knowledge transfer from Elders. The centre offers programs and classes that are focused on strengthening areas of traditional Dakelh knowledge. Classes include teaching Dakelh language; drums, rattles, snowshoes, shawls, vests, baskets making; as well, […]
Hailey Prince details the Nak’azdli Cultural Centre’s aims and initiatives of capturing and maintaining Dakelh traditional knowledge through methods of traditional knowledge transfer from Elders. The centre offers programs and classes that are focused on strengthening areas of traditional Dakelh knowledge. Classes include teaching Dakelh language; drums, rattles, snowshoes, shawls, vests, baskets making; as well, learning traditional ways of hunting, trapping, and fishing. Among being a place of teaching and learning, the Cultural Centre is a support system to the community through ensuring all those in need are cared for. A food hamper program is an example Hailey describes as one way the centre ensures those in need are cared for. All donations given to the centre are offered to families in need. Traditional knowledge retention and community support are just some of the areas in which Hailey Prince views the Nak’azdli centre as an area of success in Indigenous education.
Anishinaabe Elders who are constantly working towards reconciliation and bringing traditional knowledge to their people.
Anishinaabe Elders who are constantly working towards reconciliation and bringing traditional knowledge to their people.
Kakwiranó:ron Cook talks about the First Peoples House and McGill University’s initiatives to support Indigenous students in their academic studies and life on campus.
Since 1997, First Peoples House (FPH) has offered culturally appropriate support services for the university’s Indigenous learners. Often described as a “home away from home,” this dedicated space plays the role of community gathering place, healing, referral, support, tutoring, mentoring and educational guidance and even residence for several students. Some of the activities organized throughout the year include community soup and bannock dinners as well as mid-semester and annual events. In the summer, the FPH, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, organizes the Eagle Spirit Camp, a three-day camp for potential future students aged 13 and 17, with the aim of encouraging them to realize their full educational and personal potential. Other events are organized in collaboration with other groups such as the Indigenous Student Alliance (ISA), a student interest group made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and the Social Equity and Diversity Education’s Office (SEDE). For example, the Indigenous Awareness Week is held each year and culminates in a Pow Wow on campus in the fall semester, and the Indigenous Educational Series is organized, which takes place during the winter term and aims to raise awareness among the student population of Indigenous issues in Canada.
Learning nēhiyawēwin through language acquisition methods that have informed Bringing nēhiyawēwin Home, a program designed by Belinda Daniels and offered through READ Saskatoon.
Belinda Daniels, onikanew (she who leads), runs a program through READ Saskatoon called, Bringing nēhiyawēwin Home. The program was born from the idea of learning language in a natural setting by enjoying food at the kitchen table, intergenerationally, with family members. The nēhiyawēwin (Cree) language classes are offered to anyone who wants to learn nēhiyawēwin in Saskatoon and encourages learners of all ages.
Language learners come to the class in a good way by introducing and positioning themselves in the community. The group offers tobacco to the language spirit and follows protocol by saying a prayer and smudging at the beginning of class. By learning Cree around the kitchen table, learners are able to learn food terminology in a coincidental way. Some terms and vocabulary include learning how to ask and say: Are you hungry?; I am hungry; What is this?; this is good; I would like some more; soup, bannock, pop, juice, milk, salad, pizza, etc.
In the classes, Daniels employs three language learning methods which are the direct method, task-based learning, and accelerated second language acquisition. Daniels hopes that her students become intrinsically motivated to bring language home and pass it on to the next generation of nēhiyawēwin language learners. By reclaiming language we work to restore identity, nationhood, and make gains towards sovereignty and self-determination.
The Youth For Reconciliation (YFR) was a partnership that aimed to build connections, relationships and allyship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth and communities. Through experiential learning opportunities, Grade 9-12 students from Markham District High School, Bill Hogarth Secondary School and Eenchokay Birchstick School were brought together to share their perspectives while focusing on several school […]
The Youth For Reconciliation (YFR) was a partnership that aimed to build connections, relationships and allyship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth and communities. Through experiential learning opportunities, Grade 9-12 students from Markham District High School, Bill Hogarth Secondary School and Eenchokay Birchstick School were brought together to share their perspectives while focusing on several school subjects, particularly literacy, art and technology. This cross-curricular approach allowed the Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to learn about each other’s lives and deepen their relationships with one another. Social media platforms were used to make personal connections and engage the students in various initiatives. In addition to students, some participants were parents, teachers, and other community members who felt strongly about sharing their experiences and what they knew about Indigenous peoples, cultures, languages, and practices. The YFR began in September 2017 and their work still continues today. For more information, check out their Instagram at @youthforreconciliation. Their website is currently under construction.
Denise Cole discusses the Sexual Health Information Exchange Labrador District (SHIELD) Project and the ways in which Indigenous knowledge and values are incorporated into sexual health and well-being in Labrador.
Denise Cole discusses the Sexual Health Information Exchange Labrador District (SHIELD) Project and the ways in which Indigenous knowledge and values are incorporated into sexual health and well-being in Labrador.
Student Services Consultant, Janean Marshall, discusses her work bringing yoga and mindfulness into schools through the Jenita’simk program.
Student Services Consultant, Janean Marshall, discusses her work bringing yoga and mindfulness into schools through the Jenita’simk program.
First Nations owned and operated post-secondary education institution.
First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) is a First Nation owned and governed educational institute specializing in applying Indigenous knowledge to both formal and informal learning experiences. Many of our programs and services are delivered at locations across Ontario. For more than 30 years, FNTI has played an essential role in making post-secondary education relevant for Indigenous students and communities. We work closely with our partners to build unique, cutting-edge Indigenous learning experiences and environments.
NCCIE is proudly hosted by
