welcome back! … · & conference coordinator, joy keeper, at 1-866-319-4857 or email...

September 2013 Issue 4 www.mfnerc.com

THE ARROWNEWSLETTER OF THE MFNERC

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Summer Institute Recap 6

Wisdom of Our Elders 4

Back to School 2

School Profiles 3

Once Upon a Time 3

Recent Publications 5

This year’s First Nations Circle of Knowledge & Practices Conference theme is Celebrating Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life. Students develop

their skills in these two fundamental components of education from their early years through all the stages of life-long learning. Balanced instruction in literacy and numeracy gives students a firm foundation for life which will support them in their endeavors, whatever field, occupation or lifestyle they choose. This year’s conference will take place at the Victoria Inn Hotel in Winnipeg, on October 10 and 11.

Welcome Back!On behalf of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre, I would

like to take this opportunity to welcome back the educators to the schools

and wish you a great 2013-14 school year. I hope you had an enjoyable and

restful summer break.

With the beginning of the school year upon us, the school planning teams will be back in the schools and there are many training sessions and events taking place. Please check the MFNERC calendar (available on the MFNERC website) for regional gatherings, specialized meetings or other activities such as roundtables.

Please feel free to contact our offices if you have any questions or would like a tour of the office; you can contact the MFNERC Communications & Conference Coordinator, Joy Keeper, at 1-866-319-4857 or email [email protected].

Lorne C. Keeper, Executive Director

Calling all Writers! Love your school? Have a story idea? Want to see your name in print?

The Arrow is now accepting submissions! We’re looking for creative, inspiring stories about your school and community.

Please send your ideas and/or stories to [email protected].

September 2013 Issue 4

Back to School for TeachersTHE ARROW Newsletter of the MFNERC

// 02

www.mfnerc.com

As you get ready for the upcoming school year, looking prepared can help you feel prepared! Especially when it comes to your classroom. Here are some tips and ideas for setting up a great environment for your students.

First of all, consider your layout. Are there different areas for students to work? Will you want a space for students to gather on the floor together? Do you have computers? Do you have a window? Where and what time will the sun be coming through? Determine what makes sense for these areas and the flow of traffic. Don’t forget to ask your students what they’d like!

Supplies. You will have specific supplies that students will use regularly, whether those supplies are calculators, journals, markers, dictionaries etc. Where will you keep these supplies to make them accessible? How will you keep that area neat and organized?

Bulletin boards. Creating bulletin boards with themes that promote community, challenge creativity, and stress the importance of doing your best is a great way to lay the foundation for a productive and positive year. Don’t forget to leave space for your students to put up their work and for you to display new materials early in the year. Make sure that your classroom is inviting but not so chock full of stuff that kids don’t know where to look.

Your desk. You’re unlikely to have any time to sit at your desk the entire length of the school day, so put your desk in a place that won’t get in the way of your teaching space.

Bottom line is that your classroom should be friendly and inviting and allow students to become part of the room. And starting the year off with the right messages and themes in your classroom can make all the difference.

YourAd

Here!See your name here!

MFNERC will soon beselling advertising space

in our newsletter.

Contact us for more details and rates

[email protected]

The Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. is proud to announce that we will be commencing publishing activities for the benefit of our First Nations schools.

Our focus will be on the publication of literature grounded in education that has strong indigenous content, with particular attention given to our cultures, histories, and languages. As this is a new initiative, we need to start by understanding your needs. Please take a few minutes to answer the following:

• What type of books do you require?

• What books would be most beneficial to your students’ learning experience?

• What would be the ideal book to have in your classroom?

• What kind of indigenous content has been difficult for you to find?

Please send your ideas/questions/feedback to:David Robertson, Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. Publishing Operations ManagerEmail: [email protected] | Fax: 1-204-942-2490


THE ARROW Newsletter of the MFNERC

// 03

www.mfnerc.com

School ProfilesChemawawin School, Chemawawin Cree Nation and Omiishosh Memorial School, Pauingassi First Nation

The MFNERC provides resources and training to 56 First Nations run schools across Manitoba. We are pleased to

showcase these schools in each issue of The Arrow - Newsletter of the MFNERC. If you would like to see your

school highlighted in The Arrow please email us at [email protected].

Chemawawin School, Chemawawin Cree Nation

Chemawawin School is part of the Chemawawin Cree Nation and is excitedly discovering its potential with each passing school year. Through a combination of strong educational leadership, a tradition of excellence and the ability to recognize opportunities for its students, the school has developed a reputation for dedication and vibrancy. “We are determined to do good things in our school and committed to achieving results. Every new skill that each student develops will enhance the scope of what our school and community can accomplish.”

www.chemawawin.ca

Omiishosh Memorial School, Pauingassi First Nation

“The Creator gave us a responsibility to protect and care for the lands that have sustained us for thousands of years. It is also our responsibility as First Nations people to take care of our people and our traditions and culture.” This is the vision of Pauingassi First Nation, and it is what the Omiishosh Memorial School seeks to teach its 80 students. Pauingassi First Nation is committed to creating opportunities for its young people, so they can learn to balance their traditions and culture within a modern context. An example of this is the recent publication of the Pauingassi Lands Use Management Plan (October, 2012).

Chemawawin School Omiishosh Memorial School

In traditional times, storytelling was much more than a pastime. It was a social institution, an “oral university” that taught people young and old about values, beliefs, morals, history, and life skills; it taught everyone how to function in the community. Today in our First Nations schools, storytelling can and should be used

as a powerful and interactive tool in our classrooms. Not only does it create bonds, increase listening skills, and foster communication, it indigenizes the curriculum.

Unlike the passivity of television and videos with their one-way communication, storytelling is interactive. It is face-to- face

communication. The stories we tell and retell help us return to moments big or small that mark us in some way.

Sharing stories creates classroom connections. It produces a relationship between the storytellers and the listeners. We all live through our stories and the stories live through us. Willingness to listen shows that you...

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Once Upon a Time

THE ARROW Newsletter of the MFNERC www.mfnerc.com

// 04

The Wisdom of Our EldersSince 2010, MFNERC has hosted a series of roundtables that gathered together educators and Elders from around Manitoba as a first step towards the major objective of creating a draft framework document representative of First Nations learning and school needs.

Focus questions were posed to participants in the search for learning and assessment principles and practices that were/are effectively used by/with First Nations learners.

The responses from Elders were recently compiled into an Elders Roundtable Series Report (May, 2013). Elders’ comments were video-recorded and transcribed into English text transcripts. Each roundtable posed at least two general questions, but other questions were posed to suit the needs of the group.

What and how did you learn growing up? What must we do in education and in our schools to better prepare youth for the good life “ mino-pimatisiwin” (Cree, Ojibway, Island Lake ), “honso aynai” (Dene), “tokatakiya wichoni washte” (Dakota)?

Here is an excerpt from the Elders Roundtable Series Report, and if you are interested in finding out more, please contact Vera Mitchell, First Nations Language Program Manager, [email protected].

Life Long Learning from Elders’ Perspectives:

“Children learn what they see.”

“If you respect a child, that child will listen. Love a child and that child will listen.”

The Elders continue to be the key teachers of culture and language. Participating Elders from each MFNERC service region in Manitoba spoke of growing up during a time where family and community worked hard together living off of the land. Living the “good life” centered on a working knowledge of the land one was gifted with; its elements (earth, water, air, and fire), as well as the application of techniques of hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering resources to be able to survive in a harsh environment. Elders, who lived this lifestyle, also spoke of learning respect representative of a world view built into their First Nation language. The seven teachings of what constitutes a “good life” were taught and passed on to grandchildren and members of the extended family circle through intergenerational teaching and learning practices.

The seven teachings draw their power from human beings observing the tenets of natural law (opposite of man-made law and legislation). First Nation languages house words to describe natural law from the indigenous perspective of reciprocity in one’s attempt to maintain a healthy balance in all aspects of life: physical, emotional, social and spiritual. First Nation languages house the history, laws and the teachings for the people to instruct about a “good life”, for example, kinship and relationship laws. Imbalance in one’s life could be a direct consequence of breaking a natural law. Observance and application of the seven teachings was and is a lifelong teaching, learning and reflection process.

Valued Principles for Life Long Learning

• The “good life” is developed and nurtured at the start of a child’s life, the importance of home life and schooling and responsible parenting and grand parenting are essential for healthy communities.

• If learned when children are young, the first language is never forgotten.

• Everyone helps one another.

• Hard work is valued because it is a way of life.

Cultural and Language Teaching Tools

• The Medicine Wheel serves as a graphic organizer to describe many of the cultural teachings the Elders spoke of at the roundtable.

• Values and morals are learned through storytelling, songs, dances, and living cultural traditions.

• Roles and responsibilities and rites of passage attributed to men’s and women’s teachings start at birth.

• Oral language is taught first and sustained in the home through intergenerational teaching.

• Elders are the keepers and transmitters of knowledge through spoken language and cultural teaching.

Schools and Community Sustaining Language and Culture

• It is important to view the child as a whole child; to nurture the physical but also spiritual well- being of the child.

• It is important to teach about cultural and community based activities to school teachers and extend teaching to students and involve the community.

Sharing Knowledge


Iye Ohdakapi: Their Stories, Manitoba Dakota EldersWe are very excited to announce the recent publication of Iye Ohdakapi: Their Stories, Manitoba Dakota Elders. It was compiled by MFNERC’s Craig Charbonneau Fontaine, Researcher, First Nations Languages.

The publication is a collection of recorded interviews with 18 Elders, gathered in the summers of 1971 and 1972 by interviewer Herbert Hoover. The Elders’ stories convey memories of lived experiences and historical reflection. The recordings capture a moment in time in each Elder’s life, but the ideas and thoughts should enable further enquiry into the field of Dakota oral history.

For more information contact Craig at [email protected] 204.594.1290

THE ARROW Newsletter of the MFNERCwww.mfnerc.com

// 05

Recent Publications at MFNERC

• It is important to involve community members and Elders as cultural teachers to support classroom teachers.

• It is important for the First Nations language be spoken and heard in as many ways and places in the community as possible. It is up to the community to work on that if the language is to remain alive.

• It is important to assess oral language fluency with the mindset to encourage not reprimand its proper usage. Levels of language are acquired through exposure, practice and use. Accept words without correction, but model proper usage.

• It is important to understand that language changes, as new things are learned, new terminologies are created to name them.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment Principles

• Learning is holistic and involves mind, heart and hands – see, think, feel, and do.

• Learning is fostered by example, demonstration, modeling, repetition and practice.

• Learning is cyclical and involves looking (observing, experiencing), learning (practicing, applying) and living (refining, mastering, teaching) what is taught.

• Learning is assessed by the degree to which one listens to (respects, observes) and reflects on what is taught and applied.

• Achievement and success is measured by the degree to which one applies knowledge and sustains a healthy, balanced and prosperous life.

Grassroots AnthologyIn July 2013, MFNERC published this beautiful, 70 page Grassroots Anthology (Volume I).

The Anthology features short stories, poems, fine art and photography by Manitoba First Nations artists, providing them with an avenue to share their work with the general public.

The Anthology hopes to inspire young people to develop and pursue their own creative aspirations so they may also share their stories.

For more information contact Betty Lynxleg at [email protected] 204.937.5984

Cornelius Constant


Summer Institutes RecapStudents may have been on holidays, but August was a very busy month around MFNERC. Teachers, principals and other staff from our First Nations schools were invited to attend MFNERC’s annual Summer Institutes. These informative, multi-day events cover a wide range of subjects, and are yet another way that our staff and specialists aid in the development of Manitoba’s First Nation schools, education boards and communities. Additionally, many participants are eligible to receive accreditation towards post-secondary certificates.

As we begin another school year, here is a recap of just some of the intriguing topics and engaging activities that were covered in August.

School principals kicked off the month with a 5-day institute centered around the theme “Mino-Pimatiziwin” (Heart of the Matter). Elders and other professionals spoke about how to achieve desired outcomes for ELA, math and social studies; reporting; data collection and student assessment. But perhaps the highlight of the week was a trip outside the city to a site near Birdshill Park. Science Specialist, Wilfred Buck presented some traditional teachings, as well as how to incorporate land-based programming into school curriculum. It was the perfect reminder of how important learning from and on the land is for our First Nations students.

The first week of August was also jam-packed for special education instructors and education assistants. Guest speakers, as well as MFNERC staff, presented a variety of workshops on everything from using smartboards in the classroom to improving reading comprehension. One highlight of the week was a workshop presented by Clinical Psychologist Sirppa Sterling entitled “Yoga for Regulating Students in the Classroom.” Participants took hands-on learning to a new level as they practiced a variety of yoga poses and stretches, as well as modeling how yoga can be used as an interactive tool when storytelling, hint: it involves doing a LOT of actions while a story is being told. At the end of the institute, participants who attended all 5 days received 30 contact hours of accreditation towards a Special Education Teaching Certificate, as well as a two-day training PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) certificate.

Heading into the middle of the month it was time for the literacy, and language & culture institutes to get underway.

Our Literacy Summer Institute focused on early childhood education. Participants in the 5-day session learned how to record the reading behaviours of young children, learned to analyze the errors and self-corrections made by the readers, and used this information to design an instructional program for students. The program utilized materials provided by the MFNERC’s classroom library project. The Language & Culture Institute taught language instructors - both immersion and subject - a myriad of different tools and techniques to use in their classrooms. Everything from

songs to smartboards from puppets to pictures was examined as means to teaching First Nations languages. Guest presenters such as Wanda Barker from Hollow Water were on hand to provide expertise.

Overall, our Summer Institutes were a huge success, and we’d like to thank all the presenters and participants for their contributions.

Fun at the Language & Culture Summer Institute


// 06 September 2013 Issue 4

Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc.Proudly Presents the 15th Annual

“Celebrating Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life”

October 10 & 11, 2013Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre1808 Wellington AvenueWinnipeg, Manitoba

For Registration & Tradeshow Information Please Contact

Joy Keeper, Conference Coordinator | 204.594.1290 or Toll Free 1.866.319.4857 | [email protected]

Pamela Friesen, Tradeshow Coordinator | [email protected]

• Poster Sessions• Keynote Address• Two Day Tradeshow VISIT

www.mfnerc.comTO REGISTER

FOR THE TRADESHOW!The perfect opportunity

to promote yourcompany or organization!


Keep in touch and up-to-date! Contact UsCheck us out on our newly designed

website www.mfnerc.com for more

information on our organization

including the Arrow Newsletter,

eNews, the MFNERC organizational

chart, community maps, photo

gallery, merchandise and other

resource materials. Follow us on

Twitter @MFNERC and Like us on

Facebook at Manitoba First Nations

Education Resource Centre to stay

up-to-date with upcoming events and

recent activities.

General Inquiries: [email protected]

Thompson Sub-Office202-79 Selkirk AvenueThompson, MB R8N 0M7Phone: (204) 677- 0930Toll Free: (877) 879- 0930Fax: (204) 677- 0938

Waverley Sub-Office200-1090 Waverley StreetWinnipeg, MB R3T 0P4Phone: (204) 594-1290Toll Free: (866) 319- 4857Fax: (204) 477-4314

Head OfficeSwan Lake First NationUnit 7, 4820 Portage AveWinnipeg, MB R4H 1C8 Phone: (204) 831-1224Fax: (204) 831-1301

Winnipeg Sub-Office2-1100 Waverley StreetWinnipeg, MB R3T 0P4Phone: (204) 594-1290Toll Free: (866) 319- 4857Fax: (204) 942- 2490

// 08

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

and other students care about what the storyteller is sharing and are interested in their ideas, thoughts and experiences.

Stories are dynamic rather than static. Depending on who is listening there are many different messages that can be received. Stories have many layers of meaning, they give the listener the responsibility to listen, reflect and then interpret the message. In using storytelling, you provide connections to ideas that students can understand, so that learning is meaningful and transformative. To motivate, to instill ideas, to try and help students set dreams rather than just accepting that ‘this is what it is’…that is the power of storytelling.

Storytelling indigenizes the curriculum. It incorporates Indigenous ways of teaching within the socially constructed context of classroom lessons. Storytelling has its roots in the attempt to explain life and the mysteries of the world. A story could always be told that would help a parent teach or explain some aspect of life. Storytelling time was a time for the family to be together; it was a time for the Elders to explain history to the children and for learning, listening, interacting, and sharing. Children were regarded as the inheritors of the traditions being passed forward. Today, storytelling still holds value, as it is an empowering link to a sense of identity and traditional knowledge.

The use of a story in the classroom allows students to reveal their knowledge and have others recognize them for being knowledgeable. It also provides an opportunity for their ways of knowing to be honoured and respected in the classroom.

So in your classroom, make it a yearlong goal to talk about your life, the stories that make your family so unique, your experiences, and how you got to be you and not someone else. And have your students do the same.

Use your own experiences to highlight a particular concept you are teaching your students.

Share as many culturally relevant stories as possible. Find and learn songs with stories. Invite an Elder or community member to come to your classroom to share their stories.

The Story of Wesakejack

Joe A. Ross School Library

As First Nations author Richard Wagamese says, “You can make storytelling non-threatening and valuable for youth by using story circles in classrooms so students can share in a formal, traditional, ceremonial way, because everyone has a crushing desire to be heard despite modern technology.”

Some content retrieved from www.education.gov.sk.ca MacLean, Melanie and Linda Wason-Ellam. (2006). “When Aboriginal and Metis Teachers use Storytelling as an Instructional Practice”.


welcome back! … · & conference coordinator, joy keeper, at 1-866-319-4857 or email...

Documents