Oakville School took the classroom outdoors yesterday as students gathered to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with traditional teachings, storytelling, and a hands-on exploration of sacred medicinal plants.
Kelsey Brooks, a teacher at Oakville, says the celebration is part of an annual tradition that aims to nurture lasting relationships between students and Indigenous knowledge.
“We celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day every year. It's June 21st technically, for the summer solstice, but that's on the weekend this year,” Brooks explains.
The lesson goes beyond curriculum expectations, building familiarity and respect for cultural teachings over time.
“These students are starting to connect with these plants and these lessons. It’s been nice to see the students developing this knowledge over the years. It's a cool opportunity and just gorgeous to be outside in our outdoor classroom.”
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Learning through plants
This year, the event took place in the school's outdoor classroom, where students explored the medicine wheel and its connection to sacred plants.
“They are learning about sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco, all the medicinal properties that these plants have for us and the lessons that Indigenous people have taught us over the years with these plants,” she says.
As a highlight of the day, students were invited to sample herbal teas made from local plants.
“I have some Grade 7 helpers brewing the tea in the school and bringing it out for students to try. We have chamomile and dandelion tea. The kids love trying the new taste and understanding all the medicinal benefits that the tea has to offer us,” she continues.
For Brooks, who is Métis, these lessons are also part of a personal and cultural journey.
“At this point in my life, I'm reconnecting with my heritage. Part of my reconciliation is passing the knowledge along to my students. We're having a great time and there's lots of positivity around all the plants.”
Teaching tipi traditions and treaty education
Also taking part in the day’s programming were Charlotte Prince and Janey Bradford, Indigenous Academic Achievement Facilitators for Portage la Prairie School Division (PLPSD). Their work brings Indigenous worldviews and teachings into classrooms throughout the division, helping students understand the cultural depth and historical realities of Indigenous communities.
“Today, Charlotte was sharing the Dakota story of the tipi with permission from her relatives. She explained the traditional stories of the tipi and how to set it up. She also explained the importance of the bison for the First Peoples of Turtle Island,” Bradford explains.
Understanding the meaning of reconciliation
Bradford stresses the importance of connecting these lessons to broader conversations about reconciliation.
“It's important that kids understand why they're learning some of this content, and a lot of that is through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)’s 94 calls to action. Through education, we're trying to include Indigenous perspectives, the learning that they have, and the voices that have been excluded in education.”
As the students returned from their outdoor classroom, the lessons they carried with them were more than just academic; through plants, stories, and shared experiences, they were invited to see each other with a new understanding.
“Our hope is for kids to understand that it's about repairing relationships and that there are other world views to consider when we're learning about Turtle Island.”
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