On November 15, 2023 Mountain View School Division’s Umbay Nagamon team presented a keynote session for 800 educators assisting with the 2022 release of the Mamahtawisiwin Indigenous Education Policy Framework – The Wonder We Are Born With. This guiding policy coming from Manitoba Education & Early Childhood Learning supports school divisions to implement Indigenous education. In this framework is the concept that “an equitable, inclusive, and diverse education system fosters a sense of belonging in all learners so that they feel they can succeed, take responsibility, find their purpose in life, and achieve The Good Life/Mino-pimatasiwin.” Within MVSD we work hard to support all students, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to embody this vision. This includes embodying values where we are all seen as equals, living our lives with healthy universal values such as love, respect, honesty, courage, wisdom, humility and truth. We strive to support our educators to implement Indigenous education into their teaching practices. The MVSD Indigenous Education Framework was developed in 2019 and aligns well with the Department of Education’s Mamahtawisiwin document. As a rural school division, we feel our current initiatives are on track with the rest of the province.
To further support educators and students, Manitoba Education & Early Childhood Learning has launched the Elders and Knowledge Keepers program. We are building relationships with community members with authentic voices – our Elders, parents, guardians, and community members – by inviting them into our schools to share their knowledge. Our students’ learning is enhanced by sitting with Elders and Knowledge Keepers and listening to their valued stories. Another component of excellent learning is provided with experiential learning. We are developing land-based learning that transports students out of the physical classroom to the outdoors. There is scientific learning about animals, medicines, weather patterns, harvesting, and the smell and taste of maple syrup through the cycles of tree life. This March, students will walk on frozen lakes to catch and fillet fish and learn the connections between humans, land, water and animals. This is a unique experience for some, as we all learn together.
We continue to develop new partnerships with stakeholders to support these initiatives and enhance the well-being of our students. A recent partnership that values Indigenous education and mental wellness is with Kids Help Phone. Since the pandemic, mental health needs have increased greatly. An environmental scan done across Canada in 2022 by the Mental Health Commission of Canada found that 30-35% of Canadians have moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression. Kids Help Phone provides programming for schools to support the needs of students and educators. Such programs include Counsellor in the Classroom and Brighter Days which assist educators through online formats to bring professional counsellors right into the classroom. This helps Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to examine their mental health needs and find healthy ways to cope with daily stressors. They also learn about how this national help line can support kids, aged 12 to 29, day through night, by texting or phone. Plans are underway for MVSD to host KHP’s Executive Team and Board of Directors professional development with an Umbay Nagamon workshop right here in the Parkland, next October 2024.
Finally, we are hosting a community Umbay Nagamon lunch and learn session on January 24, 2024 in Grandview School from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; a bag is lunch provided. We continue to facilitate these education tools, not only for our staff and students, but for the community at large. Please join us with lifelong learning on a solid path of reconciliation within the Parkland. We are honoured by all the individuals, staff, educators, and community members who have joined us on this journey. Please register with Anita Gingera at [email protected].