Richard Froese

For the Lakeside Leader

The Indigenous Education Team at High Prairie School Division (HPSD) was in the spotlight at the First Nations Métis Inuit Gathering on May 2 in Edmonton. It was hosted by the College of Alberta Superintendents.

According to an HPSD news release, three HPSD employees involved in Indigenous education were keynote speakers. They were Jamie Chalifoux, Brennan McDonald and Connie Sabo.

Their presentation, called ‘A Taste of Culture,’ highlighted the collaboration between the team and schools’ hot lunch programs. Indigenous knowledge and traditional practices are part of school meals. Students help prepare traditional foods, such as bison, the trio explained.

The hands-on approach not only provides nourishment, says the news release, but also fosters cultural pride and connection to the land.

The presentation drew a full room of participants, many of whom stayed afterward to ask questions and learn more about how they could bring similar initiatives to their own school divisions.

HPSD board chair Joy McGregor commends the Indigenous education team.

“We are proud to see our innovative approach to cultural education and student nutrition being recognized at the provincial level,” she says.