KERROBERT — Establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between First Nation people and non-First Nation people in our province, and in our country, is important to Kerrobert Composite School.
KCS has taken steps towards the path to reconciliation. At the end of 2021, KCS hung both a Treaty 6 and Métis flag in their gymnasium, alongside the Canadian and Saskatchewan flags that were already present.
May 24, the school hosted an all-day event with Elder Dr. Winston Wuttunee, First Nation musician, singer, storyteller and teacher. The 82-year-old Wuttunee engaged K-12 students and staff at KCS in his stories and performances.
Wuttunee shared his musical talents and stories in a number of sessions throughout the day with different age groups of students.
Wuttunee is originally from Red Pheasant First Nation, and currently resides in Winnipeg, Man. He has experienced a successful career as a musician, using music to inspire, and teach cultural values and wisdom.
Kerrobert resident, Tyson Wuttunee, who also has children in KCS, is a distant relative of Winston through his dad’s side of the family. Tyson spent the entire day of May 24 at KCS, participating in Winston’s presentations. His brother, in a social media post, described the day saying, “…our uncle Winston Wuttunee building greater mutual understanding and having some fun while at it! Elder and kids all having lots of fun sharing some time together.”
Staff speak of Wuttunee's appearance at their school
Tyson’s wife, Robbi Wuttunee, said, “Winston works with a program called Head Start out of B.C. We reached out to him through Facebook and discovered he was on his way to Saskatoon and he honoured our request to come to KCS for the day to perform some songs and share stories with students. He will return home to Winnipeg after a brief stop in Saskatoon and Regina.”
KCS Principal, Candice Kraft, said, “The entire K-12 study body attended Winston’s performances with an opportunity to engage with him in four different sessions, by age groups.”
Students enjoyed the ability to interact, to learn from Winston and be part of his activities and performances.
For instance, Robbi Wuttunee, says, “I was part of the K-3 session where Winston held up an eagle feather and asked students to look for a picture in the feather. He then told different stories using the feather and related it to how to create a story.”
Principal Kraft was part of the Grades 10-12 portion of the day’s activity and said she found herself and students learned about originality, of where names come from, how Canada and Saskatchewan were named and Winston even asked how Kerrobert was named and its history.”
“Terminology and respectful terminology were outlined, with Winston even asking those in attendance their permission to refer to them as settlers. The message came through about some terminology being inappropriate and derogatory, with Winston explaining the mix in translation. I found students very respectful and receptive to the message and overall presentation," said Kraft
KCS is in the process of seeking traditional dancers to perform to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples Day June 21, with the event to potentially be held June 20.
Kraft affirms that they hung the Treaty 6 and Métis Flag in their school and that was a first for KCS, saying these activities are their way of taking part in reconciliation. Kraft noted some schools followed the flag hanging action, as well as some rinks in the area.
Both women interviewed said it is nothing short of amazing to see and experience Winston touring and performancing at his age, and he noted he feels it is important to reach out to as many people as he can.
Teachers at KCS say their one-day experience with Winston can only benefit both staff and students in learning about social and cultural diversity in their efforts to walk the journey of reconciliation.
