It’s an important part of history that is coming to light.
And now, it is being taught in schools.
The Greater Saskatoon Catholic School District and St. Dominic School held their first Truth and Reconciliation ceremony on Oct. 21, in correlation with the anniversary of the canonization of the first aboriginal saint, Kateri Tekakwitha.
Principal Dallas Puto says this is an important part of Canadian history for the kids to learn.
“If we don’t have that cultural understanding and that whole element of being one with each other, as our students grow and mature and leave our community and go else where, we wouldn’t be preparing them well to be the best citizens we can.”
Students learned about residential schools, most of which were run by religious organizations, and held a smudging, a ceremony where a person cleanses themselves using the smoke of tradition grasses.
Teachers instructed students to cleanse their eyes, ears, heads and bodies in order to see, hear, think and feel good things.
St. Dominics attempted to get someone of aboriginal heritage to attend the ceremony but with the short amount of time they had to prepare for the day, there was no one in attendance.
“We went with what we did. The liturgy was produced by Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, we added our PowerPoint and our student’s input.”
Teacher and staff for the last couple of years have had inservice dedicated to better understand First Nations ceremonies.
“These are resources we use in the classroom to educate our students into the ways they celebrate many of the ways we and...so we can better understand that stewardship and that partnership with our environment and our land.”
Tekakwitha was the first First Nations catholic saint and was canonized in 2012. Puto says that was very significant for the celebration.
“With this being education week, as well as her feast day, we really need to move on past the ‘I’m sorry’...that was a very important first step and now we need to see action.”
As of the 2015 school year, there are 2880 self proclaimed Aboriginal, First Nations and Metis students in the Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools district, says Derrick Kunz with the district.
