High school students at Fairview and Area Learning Store, Peace Regional Outreach Campus, Fairview Jr./Sr. High School, and Red Earth Creek School are, or will soon, engage in the Beading (Elder Chronicles) course. This locally developed course is designed to address unique community priorities and provide students with diverse ways to remain engaged in their educational journey.
The beading program is brought to life by respected mentors who bridge the gap between classroom learning and traditional knowledge. In Fairview, students are learning under the guidance of Knowledge Keeper LuLu Ostrem, while students at Outreach are being led by Elder Priscila Lalonde. Students at Red Earth Creek School are being guided by an Indigenous staff member with a passion for beading. These instructors pass down the stories and cultural protocols that make beading an enduring practice.
In addition to beading, students across the Division have the opportunity to participate in the Smudging (Elder Chronicles) 15 course. This course is guided by local Elders and Knowledge Keepers who facilitate the smudging ceremony as it was taught to them by their Elders. Regularly smudging has been known to provide significant cognitive and affective benefits, specifically enhancing focus and promoting a sense of calm.
The impact of these courses within the PRSD is being recognized provincially. Indigenous Education Program Coordinator Holly Crumpton shared virtually with the Provincial Collaborative for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit Education how the PRSD has successfully implemented these smudging and beading credits to support student engagement and cultural connection at several of our schools. As students learn these traditions, they are not only honoring the past but also earning essential credits for their future.
