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Adaptation of fables earns school Mayor’s award

Article Origin

Author

By Darlene Chrapko Sweetgrass Writer SIKSIKA FIRST NATION

Volume

18

Issue

4

Year

2011

A literacy project adapting well-known fables to the Siksika First Nation cultural context and published in an illustrated volume has earned a prestigious Calgary Mayor’s Excellence Award.

Sequoia Outreach school, in partnership with Digital Press, Siksika Elders and Blackfoot Crossing, was recognized for the publishing of Collected Stories: The Three Buffalo Snuff and How the Kiayo Got a Short Tail, adapted by Caitlyn Storm, Bella Saddleback and John Healy with illustrations by Kristen Daniels.

“It is so gratifying to see students, Elders and Digital Press receive this recognition,” said Denise Peterson, principal at Sequoia school in Gleichen.

The project began with support from the Alberta Initiative for School Improvement. In its second three year cycle, AISI’s focus was on cultural literacy. Already receiving much instruction from the Siksika Nation, accessing community-based services, health and educational resources, school staff wanted to become more literate about the Nation.

“The challenge was to develop a culturally meaningful outreach project,” said Peterson, who noted that when the project began there were no stories written in Blackfoot. “It would be so beautiful to be at a place translating Blackfoot stories to English. That is the goal.”

All programs at Sequoia are highly individualized, based on the specific needs of each student. In this unique learning community, most students are either in a parenting role or soon to be parents. As barriers were identified, the school worked in partnership with community service providers to ensure basic needs were met. Children accompany their young parents to school, and parents are supported fully in the care of their children including medical care, family law, health, nutrition and cultural awareness.

Students work independently and build their own programs from Alberta Distance Learning Centre courses, Golden Hills virtual courses and courses provided by Sequoia Outreach School. Other support services include personal and career counselling, study skills, time management, conflict resolution and work experience.
The literacy project began with 20-30 high school English students adapting well-known fables, such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff to the Siksika cultural context, said Peterson. The Elders leading the project were key to integrating the Blackfoot language into the stories. Art students designed the illustrations and the finished stories, published by Digital Press, are distributed through Blackfoot Crossing’s gift shop.

Project applications were judged for their quality and originality, their measurement of success, the degree of involvement of the partners and the depth of their roles, together with linkage to the curriculum and benefits to business partners.

“It is for me an actualization of the hard work that the students and community put into the project which exemplifies how to build meaningful partnerships that are healthy and whole,” said Peterson.

Sequoia Outreach School received the Literacy Support and Enhancement Award at the Mayor’s Excellence Awards. The Calgary Catholic School District was also honoured with the Advancement of Aboriginal Youth Award. The awards are presented by the Calgary Education Partnership Foundation, which supports six Calgary and area school districts. They recognize the achievement of partnerships that are standards of excellence for their impact on educating young people.
The Mayor’s Excellence Awards were held at Calgary’s Fairmont Palliser on Jan. 27 with representatives from 15 towns and municipalities at the gala to honour recipients and participants.

 

Photo Caption: Sequoia Outreach School was recipient of the Literacy Support and Enhancement Award (from left): Siksika First Nation Chief Fred Rabbit Carrier, illustrator Kristen Daniels, Elder Elizabeth Scout, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, and Calgary Education Partnership Foundation members Jerilynn Daniels (associate director, Bell Canada) and Joe Marushack (president and CEO, ConocoPhillips Canada).