LRSD and St. Theresa Point ignite partnership

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/03/2019 (2413 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) and St. Theresa Point First Nation, spent February 19 to 21 together at the LRSD Board Office Legacy Centre.

St. Therese Point First Nation is a remote community located in northeastern Manitoba with 1,300 K-12 students and about 120 teachers and support staff. The reserve is accessible only by plane year-round and by winter road during the winter.

LRSD is Manitoba’s third-largest school division, its 40 schools in central and south Winnipeg are filled with 15,458 students and almost 1500 teachers and support staff.  

The professional learning partnership was known as Assininew Weendamangewin, translated from Island Lakes Oji-Cree as “People Sharing Information.”

Tanya McDougall, principal of St. Theresa Early Years School said “the first-ever partnership between a First Nations people and a school division,” as “what reconciliation looks like.”

Dr. Niigaan Sinclair, assistant professor in the University of Manitoba Native Studies Department delivered a keynote address that both lauded the historic partnership and challenged the 250 delegates “to build relationships” to enable a deep sense of reconciliation.

Over the three days, educators shared ideas about Treaty Education, the responsive classroom, storytelling, land-based education, traditional medicine, the role of elders, spiritual awareness, child-rearing practices, literacy, numeracy, student well-being, and community wellness.

A “blanket activity” with 50 participants dramatically captured the historical loss of land, family and culture. The empathic activity called for a lot of Kleenex.

The seeds of the partnership were dropped when Strini Reddy, youth advocate and 2017 Order of Canada recipient, connected St. Theresa and J.H. Bruns Collegiate.

Grade 12 students Nika Martinussen, Kelsey McLeod, and Lianne Adair welcomed elders into the school and led the J.H Bruns family of schools in a clothing drive that saw hundreds of jackets, pants, hats scarves, mitts, and boots delivered to St. Theresa Point this winter.

Future plans will see 10 students travelling to St. Theresa Point to continue building awareness and understanding of first nation culture.

The students were moved to action after reviewing a 2018 Angus Reid Institute 2018 study revealing that about two thirds of Canadians have no or minimal daily interactions with Indigenous people.

On the final day of the conference, Freddie Wood, St. Theresa Point First Nation education director, presented the girls with beaded handmade leather gloves for their tireless efforts.

LRSD board of trustees Chair Sandy Nemeth believes that the partnership will continue. “Our youth will make it happen, they will not take no for an answer.”

Christian Michalik, LRSD superintendent, closed the conference. “Hopefully our circle will widen, and we will get more school divisions and First Nation communities involved in this important work.”

Despite being 600 miles apart, the educators on these days discovered a closeness of spirit and purpose for future conversations and learning.

Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Adriano Magnifico is a community correspondent for St. Boniface. You can contact him at amagnif@mymts.net