First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education

The Seven Sacred Teachings are values based on First Nations cultural tradition. Each teaching is represented by a different animal and are positive guiding principles in our everyday lives. 

At Pine Street Elementary, we base classroom lessons and our character building education around the seven sacred teachings. As a school community, we focus on and explore a new trait throughout the course of the school year. 

October: Love: It is important to care for one another.

November: Respect: Give it, earn it, receive it. 

December: Courage: Let nothing stand in the way of doing the right thing.

January: Honesty: Better to fail with honesty than succeed by fraud.

March: Humility: To be humble about your accomplishments is to be strong.

April: Wisdom: Knowledge comes from hard work and dedication.

May: Truth: It is always easiest to speak the truth.

What is Métis Week?

Louis Riel devoted and sacrificed his life defending the rights of Métis people. Riel’s legacy continues to resonate across the homeland.

Each year, on November 16, Métis people across Canada pay tribute to the Right Honourable Louis Riel by holding a commemorative ceremony on the date of his execution. This ceremony symbolizes the commitment Métis people share in striving for and promoting the visions of Louis Riel and is one of the most important dates on the Métis calendar.

In addition to recognizing Louis Riel Day on November 16, the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) has declared the week surrounding November 16 as “Métis Week.” The week is devoted to commemorating the sacrifices of the Métis who continue to strive toward rights and recognition as a distinct nation.

National Indigenous Peoples Day, celebrated across Canada on June 21, offers an opportunity for us to celebrate the Indigenous voices in our communities, to reflect on the steps schools are taking towards Reconciliation, and also to recognize the important work that still needs to be done to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and histories into education. One of the voices that will help guide Elk Island Public Schools’ journey over the next school year is Jeremy Albert, a new member of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education team. Click here to read more.

Check out the many virtual ways to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day!

Alex Janvier was one of the “Indian Group of Seven” artists responsible for the birth of Canadian contemporary Aboriginal art. He was born in Cold Lake First Nation in Alberta in 1935, from where he was sent to an Indian residential school and the school principal discovered his talent.

His “modernist abstraction” style is considered a visual language well-suited to large-scale works like his fellow “Seven” artists Norval Morrisseau and Bill Reid. Janvier signed his paintings with his treaty number from 1966 to 1977 to protest oppressive policies against his people put in place by the government.

Join us in celebrating Indigenous History Month. Who is your hero? Explore here: https://www.aptnnews.ca/indigenous-history-month/