An experiential, land-based learning program for Indigenous youth at a Thunder Bay high school will be providing more opportunities for participants thanks to a new grant.
The Kendomang Zhagodenamnon Lodge program has been running at Hammarskjold High School for three years, and is a partnership between Lakehead Public Schools, the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre, and EcoSuperior, said Lisa MacLeod, a teacher with the program.
“We have Indigenous youth, and the program offers land-based experiences, and focuses in on providing cultural experiences,” MacLeod said, adding the program is open to students in Grade 9 and 10, with Grade 11 students acting as peer mentors.
The new $8,000 grant from the TD Friends of the Environment Fund will allow more opportunities to learn and have cultural experiences, MacLeod said.
“At Hammarskjold, we’ve developed outdoor courtyard space,” she said. “All of the animal hide tanning that we’ve done, we do out there in that courtyard space, so we will continue to do those types of activities there and put some of that money towards that.”
“We have built a traditional teaching lodge in the courtyard, so we’re planning to do some different infrastructure enhancements in and around the courtyard space,” she said. “So we’re thinking of putting in a fire, a woodshed for storage of firewood for the students. We use a fire on a regular basis, so we’re going to build a woodshed with EcoSuperior and we’re hoping to put a living roof on the top.”
A rain garden is also planned, MacLeod said.
She said students who go through the program, as well as their families, have provided very positive feedback.
“We have good engagement and really great attendance,” she MacLeod said. “We do ask the students to write reflections when we do some of these experiential based experiences, and often they speak to having that opportunity to connect up with the land, and to culture, and how meaningful it is to them.”
