ITEP teacher candidates celebrate culture with students at wâhkôhtowin School

The Bachelor of Education (BEd) teacher candidates are in the College of Education’s field experience program where they spend time learning from in-service educators in Saskatchewan K-12 schools.

Elementary students had the opportunity to gain first-hand experience by participating in activities and learning sessions scheduled throughout the day.

The students in grades 4 through 8 created bead artwork, ribbon skirts and ribbon shirts, made bannock and chokecherry sauce, learned how to harvest leaves for muskeg tea and other medicines, practiced jigging, and listened to the power of storytelling and the history of the powwow.

Christy Thunderchild, the SPS Wâhkôhtôwin Professional Development Facilitator and the Indigenous Student Advocate, helped the ITEP students organize the cultural day to showcase their Indigenous gifts and identity with the younger generation.

“We wanted to emphasize bringing their cultural identity into our classrooms and into our spaces,” said Thunderchild. “Having the teacher candidates be the ones sharing their gifts, strengths and talents — we wanted to bring those into the schools and make sure that each student felt they were able to contribute their gifts and have their identity present in the school.”

Ballantyne’s passion and knowledge was on display during his jigging sessions. Jigging and dancing played an important role during his upbringing as a child.

“I grew up jigging. I was in a dance group on my reserve and [we] were gold medal winners for five years straight in the Prince Albert Grand Council Fine Arts Festival. Jigging was something that I could use as an escape, especially on the reserve when you’re around alcohol and substances,” shared Ballantyne “I was always around other kids only and [the leader of the jigging group] my grandma. So that felt like home. As we went on competition trips, I was taken care of and was able to sleep in a quiet environment with sober people.”

“What I want from today is for the students to know that it's okay to be yourself. The saying ‘dance, like no one's looking’ is one of my messages. I want the students to get out of their comfort zone,” Ballantyne said.

Ballantyne added that the process to accomplish an event like this is great preparation for when him and his fellow ITEP students become teachers.

“This [type of event] is something that should be incorporated into every teacher [candidate]’s experience. You're working collaboratively, booking the locations and planning the [schedule].”

Thunderchild described how both the teacher candidates and the wâhkôhtowin school students became more empowered from the cultural day.

“Our students and our teacher candidates are benefiting so much from today in just being able to be present in these moments and activities,” said Thunderchild.