Students and staff at Bluevale Collegiate Institute (BCI) spent a meaningful morning with Indigenous educators from the Moccasin Identifier Project. The project brought together teaching and hands-on learning, culminating in a student-created art installation that will serve as a lasting reminder that we are all treaty people.
The Moccasin Identifier Project provides education and understanding of Treaty relationships, First Nations histories, reconciliation, and responsibility. The learning explores how moccasins tell a story about First Nations communities and shared responsibilities and connections to land.
As Ken Davis, Indigenous educator with the Moccasin Identifier Project, noted, "Each moccasin is unique and is relevant to the land, the materials, and the animals that surround them for each nation."
Students learned that treaties are not documents of the past, but living commitments that continue to shape relationships today.
For many students, the experience deepened their understanding of responsibility and reciprocity. One student reflected, "Giving and receiving is so important. You can't only take and you can't only give."
To honour the teachings shared with them, students gifted the Moccasin Identifier team handmade ribbon pouches filled with traditional medicine, a gesture that demonstrated gratitude and relational learning.
Throughout the learning, students heard from Indigenous educators about what it means to be treaty people today. Tamara, one of the presenters, spoke about the moccasin as a symbol of connection to the land and identity.
"It represents our footprints across these lands for thousands of years. Putting our footprints on the land now is our continuation," said Tamara. "It represents our strength and resilience as First Nations moving forward."
Students were encouraged to understand the land as a living being in a relationship with all other living things, and how land acknowledgements must be paired with action.
"It's about awareness, not guilt," Tamara shared. "We want to build a relationship."
As Erin Patterson, educator at Bluevale Collegiate Institute, stated, "The more we know about each other, the more we can empathize with where everyone is coming from, which strengthens our bonds and makes us a stronger school community."
Educators also reflected on the importance of elevating Indigenous voices and perspectives in the classroom.
Educator Amanda Henderson said participation in programs like the Moccasin Identifier Project is empowering and feels it is an example of reconciliation in action.
The work is more than knowledge, it is intercultural understanding. The Moccasin Identifier Project helps young people recognize themselves in the learning, making connections between the moccasin and their own identities.
"A student at 14 can identify with clothing, culture, and the things we wear. It becomes a way of understanding how identity and history are connected and why moccasins are such a critical part of the Indigenous communities we are learning from today," said Pauline Janke, Principal at Bluevale Collegiate Institute.
As part of the learning, students were encouraged to make connections between their own identities and the experiences of indigenous communities. This "heart work," as Pauline described it, invites students to reflect deeply on belonging, disruption, culture, and the impact of history.
"What happens when families are disrupted? What happens when your community is disrupted? This is the learning we want to create, heart work. Opening hearts is at the core of our goals around Truth and Reconciliation," she said.
"It builds empathy," she continues. "Understanding our lived experiences and where they intersect helps students recognize the importance of relationship and community.
"Take what you need, leave what you don't and ask yourself, how will you leave it better than you found it?'"
