White Bear Education Complex marked the return to the 2015-2016 school year with the school's traditional flag-raising ceremony, Thursday, Sept. 3.
Principal Sheri McArthur-Cappo says, “Every year, when we start the school year, we raise three flags. One is the White Bear First Nations flag, one is the Treaty Four flag and one is our White Bear Education Complex school flag. We raise them to start the school year in a good way and to commit to a safe, healthy and caring school year amongst all of us at White Bear.”
Before the ceremony began, School Elder Josh Kakakeway used a mixture of sage, cedar, sweetgrass and tobacco in a purification ceremony before he said a prayer in Cree, encouraging the staff and students to “Either look up to the sky or bow your heads and pray in whatever language you like.”
Kakakeway told non-Cree speakers: “I asked the Creator to watch over all of us here to have a prosperous year and I asked others who have worked here before to watch over us in a good way.”
Drummers from White Bear-T.J., Brent and J.R. Played the Flag Song and the Victory Song. During the Victory Song, Kakakeway told staff and students, “We came come through a lot of trials. I encourage you-especially the young ones-to dance to the Victory Song.”
This year's flag-raisers were teacher Kevin Kermack and students Tommy Cappo and Tristan Littlechief.
“I was nervous, but it is an honour,” said Littlechief of her flag-raising duties.
Student Andrew Kakakeway carried the Eagle Staff throughout the ceremony. Its four feathers represent the Assiniboine, Cree, Saulteaux and Sioux nations, all of which make up White Bear First Nations.
This year there are 150 students from pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 enrolled at WBEC, with one new teacher-Cheryl Peterson-joining the staff.
Peterson, who is the grade nine home room teacher, says returning to White Bear is a homecomeing for her.
“I've been a teacher for 15 years,” she says. “I came here from Red Earth, Saskatchewan, but I've taught in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.”
Although Peterson's teaching career has taken her throughout the prairie provinces and in both urban and rural settings (including a stint in Calgary), she says, “Returning to White Bear is awesome. I'm so happy to be back in my home community and I'm really looking forward to this year.”
The ceremony ended with staff and students shaking hands with the flag-raisers, Eagle Staff carrier, drummers and singers, elders and their school principal.
“We'd like to welcome everyone back to our school-students and staff,” says McArthur-Cappo. “We're looking forward to a good year at our school.”
