The Huron Superior Catholic School Board has added two sacred structures to the grounds of the Lady of Fatima School in Elliot Lake.
Principal Andrew Chi says their Native Second Language Program continues to grow and develop with the support of the board.
He says this year, through the hard work and support of Mona Jones and their Indigenous Education Coordinator Chylene Day, they added two 16-foot tipis to their educational programming.
He says the tipis were specifically designed by Jeff Jacobs and the Sumac Creek Tipi Company out of Serpent River First Nation and will be used for various programming including traditional smudging, hand drumming and more.
He adds Jacobs provided a full tutorial to the students on set up, history and the teachings behind the tipi.
Chi adds the sites will be used to augment their programming including traditional smudging, hand drumming and so much more.
(Please note: Chi would also like to point out that the children are not required to wear masks in Grade three or when they are outside as per the mandate of the Algoma Health Unit for school protocols. Any commentary about masks and children will be removed. This is a celebration, not a condemnation of a local school and a sacred site. Derogatory comments will be deleted).
