Students will be taught core subjects such as mathematics through the principles of the medicine wheel (Horizon School Division/Facebook)

By Rachel May

Mîkiwahp (Tipi) Learning

New Horizon School Division project teaches Truth and Reconciliation

Nov 18, 2021 | 1:00 PM

Students in the northeast are soon going to be learning with help from the Mîkiwahp (Tipi) project.

The Horizon School Division has received the 2021 Premier’s Board of Education Award for Excellence in Education for the submission of their George Gordon First Nation Mîkiwahp (Tipi) Project.

The award is given to the school division for excellence and innovation in education.

The Tipi project’s goal is to develop a curriculum that is culturally appropriate for Indigenous students.

Kevin Garinger, Director of Education for Horizon School Board, said the project is an important step to help students learn about Indigenous culture.

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“Instead of trying to take the Indigenous ways of knowing and fitting it into the curriculum, we are taking the curriculum and fitting it into Indigenous ways of knowing,” Garinger said.

The award included a $3,000 prize that will go towards funding the project.

“We were awarded funding on behalf of the Saskatchewan Teachers Federation and the McDowell Foundation,” he said. “We were fortunate to get $20,000 for this project. The board has also supported it right from its infancy.”

The curriculum is being built with the help of traditional Indigenous teachings as the guiding principle.

“We are using the four dimensions of the medicine wheel which are about belonging, generosity, independence and mastery,” he said.

The belonging components include teaching a sense of community, loving others and well being.

Generosity is comprised of looking forward to being able to contribute to others and being able to cherish things to others.

The independence component will teach students how to make their own decisions and be responsible for failure or success, setting goals and disciplining one’s self.

Mastery teaches children competency in many areas. Cognitive, physical, social and spiritual are the focus area. At this time children are taught self-control, responsibility and striving to achieve personal goals.

The project aims to help raise graduation rates at George Gordon School. The school is on the George Gordon First Nation but is operated by the provincial school division.

“Children will see themselves culturally and personally in the construction of knowledge,” Garinger said.

Mathematics will be the first subject to integrate the Mîkiwahp teachings. The school board said they will be looking closely at how the project affects children.

For those wanting to learn more about the award-winning project, Saskatchewan School Boards Association has posted a video about the Premier’s award.

You can find updates on Horizon school board activities, projects and updates on their website.

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Rachel.May@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RachelMayFM