School Twinning Project
Sir William Osler takes part in exchange with First Nations school
Courtesy of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Topic .. written by Theresa Dixon
Although the destructive and harmful acts committed against Canada’s First Nations people in the government-run residential school system were decades ago, one local church has stepped forward with a desire to right these past wrongs.
Dr. Daniel Scott is the minister at St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Bradford and recently organized an initiative to restore relations and foster greater understanding.
“The Presbyterian Church, being fully aware of the great difficulties which took place in the past, acknowledges the wrongdoing and has asked for forgiveness,” he said. “We have great concern for ensuring that healing and reconciliation takes place. One way is to develop activities and experiences for aboriginal and non-aboriginal children.”
With funding in place to initiate an exchange program between a school in Bradford West Gwillimbury and one located on Christian Island in Georgian Bay (near the communities of Midland and Penetanguishene), Dr. Scott contacted Sir William Osler Public School to explain the project.
“When I called (principal Steve) Peck about the healing and reconciliation project, the support which I received from him and the school was superb,” Dr. Scott said.
With the arrangements in place, grades 4, 5 and 6 students from Sir William Osler School travelled to Christian Island Elementary School.
The one-day excursion, a two-hour drive north, also included a 15-minute ferry boat ride to reach the island, which is part of the Beausoleil First
Nation.
Kathy Smith, an educational assistant with Christian Island Elementary School, said the school has 106 students from kindergarten to grade 8. While the curriculum is mostly the same as other elementary schools, native studies and language lessons are included. The students complete high school in either Midland or Penetanguishene.
“We provided the students with some of our Ojibway history and an explanation about the clan system,” Ms Smith said of the Osler visit. “One of the elders sang and the children also played koo koosh ball together,”
Christian Island grade 5/6 teacher Cynthia Tabobondung said. “We then walked the students around to many of our buildings in the community, which they seemed to enjoy.”
Ms Smith also said the students have been invited to attend the 2009 Island in the Sun Inter-Tribal Pow Wow taking place July 11 and 12 on Christian
Island.
Students from Christian Island Elementary School arrived at Sir William Osler School last week.
Following a welcoming assembly in the gymnasium, the students were led on a
tour through the school and then gathered in the library to mingle, enjoy a snack and watch a video of the Osler visit to their community. Following lunch, the group headed for the bowling alley.
Established in the 19th century by the Canadian government, residential schools were set up to educate and assimilate First Nations people.
Children as young as four were forced to attend and live 10 months of the year at these schools, where they had to sever all ties to their family,
culture and language. Appointing Roman Catholic, Anglican, United and Presbyterian churches to oversee the operation of the schools, the federal
government set the standards and provided the funding.
“While many staff tried to be good instructors and parental surrogates, the institutional setting and the volume of work defeated the best of intentions,” a historical account from J. Miller in The Canadian Encyclopedia (Historica) said.
The encyclopedia account also noted impatience gave way to excessive punishment and some of the educators were sexual predators. Acknowledging their involvement, the churches have issued formal apologies to the students who endured the mistreatment. Putting their words into action, the Presbyterian Church of Canada in 2006 made a series of recommendations to carry out a plan to build relationships between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people.
In organizing the student exchange, Dr. Scott was following through on those recommendations.
This picture shows the children from the two schools ranged in front of the Beusoleil Elementary School on Christian Island. Following are two pictures of new found friends.