National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

wpgfdn.org @wpgfdn | 204.944.9474 On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and every day, we honour the Survivors of residential schools and the children who never returned home. We acknowledge the harm caused by residential schools, and the trauma that continues to be felt by Survivors, families and communities through the generations. The Winnipeg Foundation is committed to listening, learning, working with our community and taking action towards our shared goal of truth and reconciliation. As a partner of Winnipeg's Indigenous Accord and signator of the Philanthropic Community's Declaration of Action, we are guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, and the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Image designed by Jordan Stranger. Commissioned by The Winnipeg Foundation. By Todd Lewys A bout 14 years ago, Seven Oaks School Division was looking for a way to in- crease Indigenous representation in its schools. "We'd been trying to do that for quite some time," says Seven Oaks' Superintendent Brian O'Leary. "We wanted Indigenous students to learn about and be proud of their heritage and identity." With that in mind, O'Leary brought Mary Courchene aboard as a divisional Elder-in- residence. A residential school Survivor and retired career educator, Courchene — who at one point in her career served as Dean of Indigen- ous Education at Red River College (now RRC Polytechnic) — was a perfect choice to serve as an advisor to the division. Eventually, a second Elder-in-residence, Dan Thomas, was added to complement Courchene. It didn't take long for their influence to be felt, says Sherri Denysuik, Courchene's daughter, who currently serves as Seven Oaks' Director of Adult Education Centres and Indigenous Inclusion. "This past June we celebrated our 13th An- nual Graduation Pow Wow," says Denysuik, whose credentials include being the first In- digenous administrator in Seven Oaks. "Thir- teen years ago, it had a modest beginning with a couple hundred participants." Over the years, the community event grew as the Pow Wow Clubs initiative gained trac- tion. "It moved between our high schools for six years, then got too big for our largest high school," she says. "We moved to the Winni- peg Soccer Federation where we saw around 2,000 participants and this past June for our 13th pow wow, which was held outdoors at Maples Collegiate, we had over 3,000 people attend. It's become a huge Seven Oaks com- munity celebration." Courchene says the Pow Wow Clubs, which are held at K-8 schools throughout the Seven Oaks school district, are thriving. "Now, there are about 800 to 900 partici- pants," she says. "They learn about pow wow throughout the year, as well as fiddling and drumming. The amazing part is the diversity you see. Students from different ethnic back- grounds come and learn about Indigenous customs and traditions." A recent visit to a Grade 2 pow wow event was a joyous experience, adds Courchene. "They were preparing to jig and dance, and I saw the dancers and teachers practising — they were so happy. Plus, students were there from other countries. Seeing our cul- ture shared filled my heart with joy." Another program that's thriving is Seven Oaks' Ojibwe Bilingual Language Program at Riverbend Community School. "It promotes language learning, alongside learning about traditional cultural teach- ings," says Denysuik. "Students learn who they are through learning to speak Anishi- naabemowin and learning about their In- digenous culture." The classes have sparked a resurgence in a language that was once forbidden to be spoken in residential schools, says Courch- ene. "We couldn't say a word of our language in school. Now, we have students who want to learn the language." In fact, students are so proud of their language, they per- formed the Canadian national anthem at a Winnipeg Jets game back in 2020. "The Strong War- rior Girls Anishinaabe Singers from River- bend Community School sang the national anthem in Ojibwe when the Jets played the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 17, 2020," says Denysuik. "It was a very proud moment, not just for us but for all Indigenous people." Her mom agrees. "It made me so proud," says Courchene. "They were so full of pride. They sang it loud, and they sang it right." Coming up, the Strong Warrior Girls Anishi- naabe Singers are also scheduled to sing the national anthem on Sept. 30 for the Win- nipeg Blue Bombers versus Saskatchewan Roughriders game. Denysuik says Seven Oaks is extremely proud of creating a land-based learning cen- tre, the Aki Centre, which is located at 1985 Grassmere Blvd. in West St. Paul. "It opened its doors in April 2019," she says. "Before the ground was broken for construc- tion, it was blessed by Elders with a pipe cere- mony. It's a beautiful building where staff, students and community members gain ac- cess to the land." Featuring dozens of native plants plus a remnant prairie and a nature walk, the land surrounding the centre is a place where people come to learn how to appreciate — and take care of — the land. "The land isn't ours; it's a loan by the Cre- ator," Courchene says. "We have to take care of Mother Earth. If we do, it will provide everything we need." Although the Aki Centre has only been open for three years, it's already had a big impact, says Denysuik. "We're seeing tremendous impacts already in three areas: land, language and culture. It's ever-growing, and we're thrilled by the work being done by teachers and administration. It helps kids grow up with an understanding of our (Indigenous) history, place and voice." Courchene says Seven Oaks must be laud- ed for its efforts to increase Indigenous rep- resentation in its schools. "There's always been amazing support and growth within the leadership we have. No one will ever say, 'We can't do that.' That's an attitude that we really appreci- ate." SEVEN OAKS SCHOOL DIVISION — A PIONEER IN SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS CULTURE

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