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Local school boards honouring Treaties Recognition Week

Students will take part in a variety of educational activities and lessons
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For Treaties Recognition Week, local school boards have prepared a variety of activities and resources to educate students about treaties.

All District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) schools have received educational resources that teachers can use as well as the Promises, Promises game, donated by the Ojibwe Cree Cultural Centre, said director of education Lesleigh Dye.

“Because DSB1 is located from Temagami to Hearst and everywhere in between, it’s so important that we recognize that we’re in Treaty 9 territory as well as in the southern part of our board, part of the Robinson-Huron Treaty,” Dye said. “We have a responsibility to work collaboratively and respectfully with the Indigenous people who have been here.”

Indigenous Student Advisors at the École Secondaire Cochrane High School will be facilitating smudging and sharing circles in different classes every day this week.

A Grade 3 class at the Bertha Shaw Public School will learn to bead a wampum belt, which will be presented to a Grade 1 class at Cochrane Public School, Dye said.

Timiskaming District Secondary School students enrolled in the Indigenous Studies course will also be doing a Treaty Week scavenger hunt.

“I’m really proud of our staff to recognize this incredibly important week in Canada’s history,” Dye said.

Activities and lessons have also been planned at the Northeastern Catholic District School Board (NCDSB).

“Staff and students will learn about the history of treaties, contributions and perspectives of Indigenous people through a variety of age-appropriate classroom lessons, activities and guest speakers,” the board’s community relations officer Andrew Marks said in an email. “Our Indigenous education team will be supporting classrooms both in-person and virtually throughout the week to optimize learning opportunities.”

The majority of the learning across the NCDSB will focus on Treaty 9 and the Robinson-Huron Treaty areas, Marks said.

Nov. 12, DSB1 and Northern College are cohosting a presentation about Truth and Reconciliation by Senator Murray Sinclair.

The free virtual event is at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on YouTube.

A look at public events in Timmins for Treaties Recognition Week is available here.


Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

About the Author: Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

Dariya Baiguzhiyeva is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering diversity issues for TimminsToday. The LJI is funded by the Government of Canada
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