SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 22
Alexis Park Elementary Students Honour Food Chiefs

Teamwork. That is the one word that came up over and over when hearing about the latest school-wide project at Alexis Park Elementary.

For the last two years, students at the school have heard the Captikwt (story system) of How Food Was Given and the Four Food Chiefs. The Four Chiefs are: Skmxist (Bear), Ntitiyix (Salmon), Spitlem (Bitterroot) and Siya (Saskatoon Berry). As the story goes, the Chiefs held many meetings and talked for a long time about what the People-To-Be would need to live and what contribution the Chiefs could make.

Last year, a generous donation of wood was supplied to the school by Tolko Industries and Coldstream Lumber, and that was the start of a long line of working as a team to get the project done. Students and teachers from Seaton Secondary cut the wood into the shape of salmon, then each Alexis Park student was given a wood carving to paint. Last week, the first phase of the project finally came to fruition as each student had the opportunity to fasten a salmon to the school yard fence that runs along 43 Avenue.

"The students are very proud of the work they have done," said Kathy Morgan, Aboriginal Support Worker at Alexis Park Elementary. "Today, they really get to honour how food was given to them and we all look forward to building upon this project, year-after-year until we are able to show all four of the Food Chiefs."

"This has been real collaborative effort," said Principal Michael Sutch. "From our community partners, Tolko and Coldstream Lumber, to the students and teachers at Alexis Park and Seaton. We've built a strong community within our school and when we can show our students that the external community also cares about them, it gives them a stronger sense of belonging. We are very grateful."

"Tolko has a long history of supporting youth in our local communities," said Chris Downey, Tolko's Communications Advisor. "We are proud to have played a part in telling this important Okanagan story."

Once students placed their salmon on the fence, they each received a gift of a cedar salmon necklace from the Aboriginal Education Department to honour their involvement in the school initiative.