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Dr. , a member of the MĂ©tis Nation of Alberta and a researcher at the University of Calgary, is placing community engagement at the centre of her work. Responding to feedback from Indigenous youth in northern Alberta schools, who noted that their curriculum lacks meaningful connections to their languages and cultural teachings, Markides has partnered with Indigenous communities to lead the Fort Vermilion School Division Partnership Project. This initiative, now in its sixth year, integrates elective Indigenous knowledge and cultural classes into their curriculum. 

“For me, this is the most important work we can be doing in education — creating space for the teachings that have been lost or oppressed,” says Markides, MEd'13, PhD'20. “Because we’re focusing on the things youth want in their education — language and culture—they’re coming to school. They’re engaged. They’re excited to be there.” Markides is an associate professor in ´şÉ«Ö±˛Ą and , and a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Youth Wellbeing and Education with the (SSHRC).

Youth and Indigenous leaders come together

Recently, several high school youth and Indigenous community leaders who participate in this community initiative came together for a gathering in Kananaskis to share learnings, to see what language and culture-revitalization practices and strategies have worked in their schools. Both educators and student leaders had a chance to present. 

Layne Morin is a Grade 12 student who participated in the program at his school and attended the gathering. He says the program is an important part of his school.

“Culture is a huge part of who you are. Like your language, your food, stuff like that. And, if you don’t know your culture, I feel like you almost feel lost, like you don’t know who you are. One of the biggest things is the language. Everyone would love to know how to speak Cree,” he says. â€śOn-the-land things like hunting, fishing, picking, medicine, moccasins and drums. All these cultural items that most people never know, like, how they’re made, even.”

Keeping the language and culture alive

Darren Nanooch serves as the Cree language specialist and cultural instructor at one of Fort Vermilion’s schools. In addition to teaching students the Cree language — often introducing a “Cree word of the day” — he also provides instruction on Cree-cultural teachings. The most popular cultural teaching for the young men is drumming. “The students ask for cultural teaching and I help them. If I don’t have the knowledge, we find the Knowledge Keeper to teach them,” he says. 

Nanooch says Fort Vermilion had two residential schools, which contributed to the decline of the language in the community. “It was frowned upon to speak the language,” he says. “In turn, the survivors — which is myself, my wife, and my generation, as well — weren’t taught the language. Now our generation has to really bring back the language. That’s how I see it. As an instructor, that’s my focus.&˛Ô˛ú˛ő±č;“

Grant opens doors to build connections

Wendy Nanooch, Darren’s wife, is a success coach who works in the . Her role involves cultural programing for students and in-home support for Indigenous families.

“Our community is very assimilated. A lot of our culture has been lost. The language and the teachings," says Wendy. "With Jennifer’s grant, it has opened more doors for us to bring in our Knowledge Keepers and our Elders and build those connections and give our students more of the teachings that are needed.

“What Jennifer did in our schools is she did interviews with the students, and she asked those students what would you want to see in the school. One of the biggest things they mentioned was language. Loss of language is huge in our area. Without the culture, we’re all a little bit lost. We just need everything that was taken from us to be given back to us. And I think the best place to do that is to start in the school, right from kindergarten all the way up to Grade 12.”  

“Any time we can create space within the education system to have teachings, by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people, as education is us acting in the ways that we can towards reconciliation” says Markides. 

The success of the program will be measured by responses and ongoing feedback from community members: leadership, Elders, family and youth.

This project is part of the Research initiative. The partnership was previously funded by an SSHRC Insight Development Grant.