tawâw, miyoonakishkatoohk, welcome!
In this space, we'll be sharing information and resources related to First Nations, Métis and Inuit education throughout EIPS. We'll highlight what's happening in our Division schools, provide resources available for students and families, and share upcoming school and community events. Our goal is to share an update at the beginning of each month.
For inquires about First Nations, Métis and Inuit education happening in your school, please reach out to the designated lead teacher or connect with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit education team.
kinanâskomitin, maarsii, thank you!
What’s Happening around EIPS
Building on the teachings of Elder Wilson Bearhead, EIPS staff and students continue their learning journey in First Nations, Métis and Inuit diversity, cultures, histories and perspectives. Each month, we'll highlight some of the fabulous learning happening around the Division. Connect with the designated lead teacher to find out what is happening in your school.
Thanks to a generous grant from Shell Canada and under the guidance of Elder Wilson Bearhead, schools in Fort Saskatchewan and Bruderheim have begun to create outdoor learning spaces. Our work in creating and using these spaces honours Elder Wilson’s teachings and follows the path we have walked with him. His one enduring teaching is for each EIPS school to know their story with land and place and to breathe life to that story. We're excited to share the many learning experiences happening in these spaces in the months to come. Stay tuned!
Parent Engagement Sessions
As we live and work through the challenges of COVID-19, we find opportunities to do our work in a different way. One way the First Nations, Métis and Inuit team looked at working differently within the new realities was through a series of virtual parent engagement and information sessions. We're thankful to all EIPS families who joined our sessions and participated in good conversation. We look forward to continuing the series again next school year!
Upcoming Events
- Red Dress Day - May 5 is a national day of awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. There will be a COVID-aware event in Edmonton for all who are interested in attending.
- Bear Witness Day - Many EIPS schools participate in Bear Witness Day on May 10. It's a way to raise awareness of systemic inequalities for First Nations children in an age-appropriate way, and honours the life and legacy of Jordan River Anderson. Find out more about his story and Bear Witness Day.
- Did you know June is National Indigenous History Month? Stay tuned to learn how EIPS learns about and celebrates the diversity, histories, cultures and contributions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit.
- National Indigenous Peoples Day is also celebrated in June, on June 21. We'll share more on this exciting day and plans across EIPS in our next update!
Resources of Interest
EIPS staff and students are working at increasing their foundational knowledge of First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, cultures and perspectives that hasn't been part of mainstream school learning in the past. To support EIPS families as you engage in conversation with your child/ren, we'll share some entry-point resources that may be of interest.
The video and print resources support exploration of the evolving use of terminology when learning about First Nations, Métis and Inuit.
