Westlock Elementary School took part in a day of First Nations education that included learning about many different elements of culture and finished with a display of traditional dancing.
Coming two days after National Aboriginal Day, the June 23 visit saw students from Grades 4 and up learned about heritage and cultural practice from Adrian LaChance.
“It just to kind of give an awareness, to give a better understanding of our culture, as well as our values and traditional beliefs,” said LaChance, who is of Cree heritage. “So it’s a good way to connect and give an insight on why we do the things that we do.”
Students heard about medicine wheels, connection to bigger things as well as other elements of First Nations culture.
LaChance feels that such learning leads to better understanding of Canada’s first people and will lead to better outcomes and interactions between the two cultures in the future.
“It sheds light on our history, what we’ve been though, what’s we’ve come though and we’re continuing to still deal with to this day and it helps them to understand why we do the things that we do,” he said.
It’s a sentiment shared by WES principal Pierre Ouimet who sees value in learning about First Nations culture.
“The First Nations people were here first,” said Ouimet. “It’s important, just from that Canadian fabric point of view.
“In a district like this where there’s not a highly visible number of First Nations students, that doesn’t mean it should be a lesser goal, or a lesser strategy.”
First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) studies are part of the school curriculum and the school district employs two liaison officers who work in the space.
Ouimet acknowledges that there is scope to increase the amount of aboriginal content in the curriculum and would like to see more visits to the school.
“Talking to other administrators, we have perhaps been challenged, or struggled in the past with meeting some of the outcomes as it relates to FNMI programming,” he said.
“What we did today, was that good enough? I would argue it is good, but does it meet the mark? I don’t know.
“My hope would be to not have it just be this but to have a couple of other strategically picked dates embedded through the year.”
The visit by LaChance finished with all students enjoying an hour-long display of First Nations cultural display put on by the Running Thunder Dancers that included a round dance in which many kids took park.
