PRINCE ALBERT — In response to Pope Francis’ Apology for Residential Schools in 2022 and the spirit of reconciliation, the Prince Albert Catholic School Division created a new Indigenous Education Committee in the division.
The school division decided after the Saskatchewan Catholic School Boards Association created a similar group.
Director of Education Lorel Trumier said the pope’s apology was an instigator in the decision, but they were already working on fulfilling the TRC Calls to Action before that.
"We knew that when the pope made the apology, it was a significant historical moment,” Trumier said. “We needed to contribute and be a part of the story to working towards truth and reconciliation as well as really support the truth and reconciliation Calls to Action.”
The division began to working with elders and knowledge keepers and developing a curriculum focused on Indigenous learning.
"The calls to action had been released and we were taking a very active role,” Trumier explained. “The Pope is providing an apology saying, ‘We need to all be a part of that.’ We certainly went deeper. We said, ‘All right, what can we do?’
“It was also part of our strategic plan to go deeper in these areas for our students and our community, so we're really looking forward to all of the work that's going to happen with the committee. We will grow stronger from it and we will learn.”
One example she gave was the Invitational Shared Service Initiative (SSI) with Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, this came about because the division has a high percentage of students from PBCN. The division is partnering with PBCN for the application because 70 per cent of Prince Albert Catholic students who live on reserve while attending Catholic schools are PBCN members.
The provincial government will provide $92,300 to support the partnership between 2024 and 2028.
"All of these endeavours really are an opportunity to become more aware and learn from these people who are in our community that we can do better at the pieces that the Pope and the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action are calling for,” Trumier said.
The ISSI develops partnerships between First Nation education authorities and provincial school systems.
Locally the Indigenous Education Committee supports activities like the Moccasin Project, which includes Grandfather Teaching and the Five Marks of Catholic School Identity, teaching about smudging at events throughout the year for staff and students among others.
The division also hosts activities throughout the year such as Orange Shirt Day, and Indigenous Storytelling Month. Students attend the Heart of the Youth Pow Wow and celebrate Indigenous People’s Day.
They also work with the SCBA Indigenous Leadership Committee with meetings throughout the year.
"All of the Catholic School divisions are also working together whether in response to the Pope's apology and Calls to Action, and so we're pleased about it,” Trumier said.
The local committee is made up of Father Harry Salahub, the coordinator of religious education, Gwen Clyke, the coordinator of student achievement and assessment and Superintendent Wade Mourot, along with teaching staff. They also work to strengthen relationships with local Knowledge Keepers and Elders.
The goal is to incorporate Indigenous and Metis learning into the regular curriculum as much as possible.
She said that the Board of Education appreciates the work that is being done.
“I can tell you the committee has done some great work,” Trumier said.
“We have some beautiful Indigenous and Métis resources, whether it was stories, (or) storytelling. There's artistry that's done through storybooks being distributed to all of our schools. They are just beautiful and they'll be entering our library, so we're excited about it. “The board sees the value in it and we know we have the opportunity to permeate our faith through this and work to those calls into action.”
The Indigenous Education Committee was approved for another year of work at the board of education’s regular meeting on Sept. 9.
