Students at
McNair Secondary participated in a number of activities with a visiting Cree
Elder, Graham Shand. Graham met with
students both as a group and on a one-on-one basis. He also hosted a sweat lodge ceremony in Agassiz,
BC and a number of talking circles at McNair.
Students who participated in these conversations and activities
expressed great gratitude and fulfillment.
It was also obvious to those involved that developing a relationship
with an Elder had a profound influence on students’ character and cultural
pride. Students were encouraged to
actively engage during these events rather than participate as bystanders. For example, during a sweat lodge ceremony
several students assisted the fire keeper, shared their own ancestral songs,
and received names from an Elder.
One-on-one
meetings with Graham also helped students reach a deeper level of cultural
respect and understanding while revealing areas of potential and areas where
support was needed. Debriefing after
these sessions was crucial as it made it possible to highlight where individual
students could benefit from additional support.
A number of positive plans developed as a result of these meetings. For example, one student was provided with
personal tutoring to enhance her achievement in Communications 12 while another
student met with Richmond firefighters and recruiters to tour their facilities
and explore a potential future career.
For more information please contact: Sonja Bone, sbone@richmond.sd38.bc.ca, (604)668-6615 ext. 1179.
No comments:
Post a Comment