Cobourg Collegiate Institute Invites Tarrant Cross Child, MAY 2023

Tarrant Cross Child is Niitsitapi from Kainai in southern Alberta — a member tribe of the Blackfoot Confederacy — and now lives in Saskatoon. He won the Saskatchewan Marathon in 1998 and then stopped running for years as he battled an alcohol and gambling addiction. After completing a year-long in-residence rehabilitation program he’s healthy, running and giving back to the community.

Here is what students said about hearing him speak: 

• "Tarrant's talk was significant because mental health is not talked about enough and he did well at expressing what he went through and how he got better."

• "One significant moment from Tarrant's talk was when he explained how he found himself through running and how it gave him purpose. I can relate to this because I too was in a rough place at the beginning of the year and ended up finding purpose and joy in rock climbing - the same way Tarrant did."

•  "One thing in Tarrant's talk that was significant and stood out to me was when he went to his first race and didn't have the courage to run. I know the feeling of disappointing someone such as his grand dad." 

• "From Tarrant's talk we can learn that it's okay to ask for help and to be vulnerable with people, especially the ones that truly care for you. Also, that healing and getting better takes time and a lot of perseverance which is motivating to hear and see."

Adam Scott Collegiate acknowledges Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit People with Special Guests

On May 5, 2023 students gathered in the auditorium to listen to Dr. Dawn LaValle-Harvard, Director of Trent University’s First Peoples House of Learning, followed by the Unity Singers and hand drummers. 

Here is what students said:

Liam: Beneficial if you didn’t know anything about the topic before. The singing and drumming was very good. Everyone was respectful.

Wade: I benefited from it because it allowed me to get a way better view of the whole situation and everything going on because I had no idea. It allowed me to understand what they go through just because of who they are. Also helped me walk a mile in their shoes and hopefully helped them with their path to recovery. I enjoyed the openness of the assembly and how they spoke from their hearts and spoke the truth. Their culture that was displayed - you could tell that they were very passionate about it and it was an important cause to them.

Ayana: A benefit was to hear it from a real person because we read a lot of articles, but hearing it from a real person made it really real. I remember the woman saying that she was in the car with her daughter and her daughter said “Mommy am I in danger?” It made me cry. It makes it feel really real and that it is still going on today. The dancing and the drumming in the end lifted the mood and also helped everything sink in more.

Charlotte: The benefits were to get people to get more to know about the subject and we don’t hear as much as what was explained in the assembly. Still remember things in the assembly to this day. You could feel a ripple effect because I would go home and tell my family about it and then the whole community becomes more knowledgeable about it.

Amy: It’s beneficial because it allowed for a deeper understanding of the struggles that in particular Indigenous women face overall. It helps bring into light the fact that sexism is still prevalent today. I really liked how they brought the drummers in - it was really fun.

Clarington Central Secondary School engages students in Indigenous Youth Leadership Opportunities

Working alongside the Indigenous Education Department, Child and Youth Worker, Leigh-Anne Mondesire supports students with many opportunities to learn and lead.

Leigh Anne reflects on the impact:

“I was worried about being of settler descent and facilitating the CCSS Indigenous Youth Leadership group, however, being able to partner with the ISW has allowed me to run culturally appropriate activities with the students and I’ve enjoyed learning alongside them. Our group members come from different communities and have different levels of connectedness to their Indigenous cultures & communities.  Many of our students have parents that are (for various reasons) not connected to their communities and didn’t have opportunities like this to learn. As a result, some of these students bring their learning home and share it with those family members. Thus, resulting in a ripple effect of successful learning and connection. The group members have all shown each other respect and now have friendships with each other that likely wouldn’t have happened otherwise.  I see their connections. In fact, they have created their own community within the CCSS community. When Meiyah Whiteduck danced in the Atrium, the pride in their eyes was evident.  They were visibly excited to share this with the rest of the student body. I see their eagerness to learn daily and to put that learning into practice.  With my own two eyes and a very full heart, I have watched these students grow and thrive! I’ve seen attendance increase and anxiety decrease. I’ve seen the proof that providing culturally appropriate activities and learning to Indigenous students creates engagement, pride, increased self esteem and fosters a strong sense of belonging. The opportunity for Indigenous students to connect to their culture has benefitted them immensely. Being a part of this has not only been a gift but a priceless experience for me and I wouldn’t change it for the world.”