St. Augustine School in Humboldt recently welcomed families and community members for a Treaty 6 medal installation ceremony.
The event recognized the progress the school has made along its journey of learning about treaties and the need for reconciliation and healing.
According to St. Augustine’s principal Chad Knaus, he feels there’s been a significant improvement in education, regarding Indigenous culture.
“All students are taught and understand that treaties exist and the importance that they play for all of us in Canada,” Knaus told northeastNOW.
“There’s also a really good understanding of the residential schools and our need for truth and reconciliation within our community and our country, so I think lots of great conversations happen in the classroom and lots of good learning, and that is something amazing, that does not always happen.”
Treaty education has been part of the Saskatchewan curriculum for about 15 years, and over the last several years, schools have added different dimensions of learning that include the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its Calls to Action, residential schools, and the historical relationships with Indigenous peoples in Canada.
(Submitted photo/Derrick Kunz, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools)For St. Augustine, their students shared what they had learned throughout the celebration, which included First Nations and Métis cultures and histories, the spirit and intent of treaties, treaty relationships, treaty promises and provisions, and the historical context of treaties.
This was done through music, dance, art, and various presentations.
“We had one of our First Nation Metis Inuit consultants come and he worked with our students and taught them how to sing O’ Canada in Cree and the Treaty 6 song,” Knaus added. “He also joined us for the ceremony and played the drum, and taught our grade one and two class how to hoop dance, so that was pretty amazing.”
In 2022, St Dominic School was the first provincial school in Humboldt to install a Treaty 6 medal.
As a multi-year initiative, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools plans to have Treaty 6 medals installed at all 50 schools in the division as a tangible sign and reminder of the commitment to truth and reconciliation.
“I think it just symbolizes a promise that the learning doesn’t stop there, that we’re gonna be continuing to work with our teachers and our school and have made a promise to make sure that this is something that they continue to do,” he explained.
“We’ll be working forward and trying to work together to make sure that we have good relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Our students are doing that by learning what’s all happened in history and how to move forward in a respectful way.”
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