All posts by NDHR

Charlene Kantyluk and her grade 8 students at Shaughnessy Park School share a video that they produced after learning about the IRS system in Canada.

I Promise from Shaughnessy Park on Vimeo.

 

“During English Language Arts, the grade 8 students of Shaughnessy Park School learned about the Residential Schools.  With the help of an education resource called the 100 Years of Loss, the students learned the History and the Timeline of the Residential School System.  Students read heartbreaking Survivor stories and the class had emotional discussions throughout the unit. Continue reading Charlene Kantyluk and her grade 8 students at Shaughnessy Park School share a video that they produced after learning about the IRS system in Canada.

Students in Albert Bridge, Nova Scotia Learn “The greatest life lessons are not found in a text book…”

The grade 6 students of Riverside Elementary were deeply moved by the survivor Bob Pictou’s presentation. The students were captivated from the initial talk which lasted over 2 hours. Bob was accompanied by Nancy Oakley, Project of Heart Commemoration Project organizer for Nova Scotia, and her father. Continue reading Students in Albert Bridge, Nova Scotia Learn “The greatest life lessons are not found in a text book…”

Mineqoziibe Anishinabe School Students Look Back on the Experience of Their Own Elders through Project of Heart

At Minegoziibe Anishinabe School in Camperville, Manitoba, 21 students recently completed “Project of Heart.” The students were actively involved in the project. They learned important Canadian history lessons. We watched several videos including “Where the Spirit Lives” that documents an Aboriginal girl’s experience in residential school. Survivor, Bruce Aneechin, oversaw the entire project. He shared stories, information and his own experiences with the students. Bruce works at our school as an Educational Assistant.

Continue reading Mineqoziibe Anishinabe School Students Look Back on the Experience of Their Own Elders through Project of Heart

Project of Heart Returns to St. Pius X Catholic High School in Ottawa

 

At St. Pius X Catholic High School in Ottawa, ON, the students of the NDA 3M class recently completed their Project of Heart adventure. It began with weeks of learning about residential schools and the devastating impact they’ve had on the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people of Canada. Many students described it as an eye opening experience, really putting together the missing puzzle pieces they had been searching for. At the same time, it was also a memorable and enjoyable experience for them to feel like they were a part of something larger and to be able to give back, through the survivor cards), to a community searching for healing.

Garth Webb Secondary School

At Garth Webb Secondary School in Oakville, Ontario, every Grade 10 student participated in the Project of Heart this year.  Named after a D-Day veteran, Garth Webb Secondary School embraces a culture of active remembrance and respect for all Canadians. The students created their tiles with a specific survivor in mind, after reading first-hand accounts of experiences in residential schools. This experience was made even more powerful by hearing IRS survivor Geronimo Henry speak about his life during his years at Mohawk School in Brantford, ON. For many students, this was their first exposure to the IRS legacy in Canada, and has sparked an interest and appreciation for the issues facing Aboriginal people today.

Tamanawis Secondary Garners National Attention with Project of Heart

The students in Social Justice 12 at Tamanawis Secondary in Surrey, BC, have garnered National attention with their recent Project of Heart commemoration efforts. The Student’s learned about the history of the Indian Residential School System in Canada before embarking on in-depth research into the Coqualeetza Lake Indian Residential School in Sardis, British Columbia. The class examined the history of the school as well the traditions and customs of the Sto: lo First Nation who mostly attended the school. We uploaded our research to missinghistory.ca as well as registered our class as 1 of 1000 Conversations.

The Unit culminated in the designing of our 50 commemoration tiles and 6 survivor cards as well as a brief look at the current funding issues concerning Reserve Schools. The Students wrote letters to their local Member of Parliament, Jinny Sims, outlining their understanding of the current conditions at Reserve Schools such as the one on the Attawapiskat First Nations Reserve. Ms. Sims was so impressed by their concerns and will be meeting with the students in the new year before making a statement in the House of Commons; using their letters in her statement. The entire experience has been a phenomenal one for the students, the level of their inquiry and engagement was inspiring. As a student teacher the success of this unit was tremendous and has been replicated with other classes within the school already.

Memorial Composite High School in Stony Plain, Alberta Joins Project of Heart

Social Studies teacher Steven Reid lead the charge as four Social Studies 10-1 classes at Memorial Composite High School took part in Project of Heart, which was a first for Parkland School Division. The group included three teachers and 120 students. There was a full week of research, discussion and education leading into the project of heart and it culminated with two wonderful guest speakers: a local Elder and a Survivor. Continue reading Memorial Composite High School in Stony Plain, Alberta Joins Project of Heart

The 100 Years of Loss Exhibit and Project of Heart Arrive in Moose Jaw

Prairie South School Division, Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, the Moose Jaw Art Gallery and Don Mitchell proudly brought the National Exhibit, 100 Years of Loss to the City of Moose Jaw. On October 11, 2012, there was a private viewing of the exhibit for Residential Survivors. The event consisted of an opening prayer, a talking circle and bannock was served to the guests. Continue reading The 100 Years of Loss Exhibit and Project of Heart Arrive in Moose Jaw