Boyle School students were given a Métis cultural experience in Buffalo Lake June 21 for National Aboriginal Day alongside students from Caslan School.
Assistant principal Larry Irla said all students Grade 1-9 were bussed out to Buffalo Lake, and it was “an awesome day.”
“It was awesome. Not one student complained about ‘when are we going home,’” Irla said. “When the time came for us to load the bus we had to go round up the kids. They weren’t all just waiting to jump on the bus. It was really worthwhile.”
Students began the day by playing a variety of games, including slo-pitch, soccer, volleyball and even tug of war. At lunch, the children chose between a hot dog or sausage to cook over the fire and then got to cook bannock over the fire.
There was also a live band playing music, and Irla said students from Caslan School dressed up and jigged for Boyle School students.
“That was exciting too, we got to see some of our students get up and try to jig as well as they could,” Irla said.
He added this is the first time Boyle School has done a formal celebration of National Aboriginal Day, and it is important to do so because about 30 per cent of the school’s population is Métis and Inuit.
“We’re trying to improve our connections with Buffalo Lake. Most of our First Nations students are coming from there,” he said. “Especially with truth and reconciliation, we just want to do as much as we can to ensure students are aware of Aboriginal history.”
