Session 3 - Thursday

B: Conservation, Language and Cultural Renewal

Presenter: Hutch Sitting Eagle, Millie Coleing, Ryan Nielson, Katherine Varze

Description: This presentation explores the developing partnership between the Siksika Board of Education (SBE) and the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo through a conservation lens. The focus is on how language and culture guide collaborative projects involving both plant and animal life. Beginning with plant restoration, the initiative envisions reintroducing traditional plant species into Siksika territory, starting in greenhouses and eventually returning them to the land. From the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo perspective, this partnership is designed to create educational pipelines—introducing students to ecology, veterinary sciences, and environmental fields. Together, these projects demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge and western science work alongside each other, ensuring that conservation efforts honour both ecological sustainability and cultural renewal.

Session 3, McNight West

J: Technology Infrastructure

Presenter: Jason Walters

Educational institutions are under increasing pressure to modernize IT infrastructure while facing persistent uncertainty in long-term funding models. Traditional approaches to technology investment—large capital expenditures with fixed lifecycles—create significant financial risk when budgets are unpredictable. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) GreenLake offers a consumption-based, as-a-service model that can help institutions overcome these challenges by aligning technology costs with actual usage and shifting expenditures from capital to operational budgets. This presentation will explore how HPE GreenLake enables schools, colleges, and universities to access enterprise-grade IT solutions without the burden of upfront investment. By providing scalable capacity on demand, GreenLake allows institutions to adjust resources dynamically as enrollment, research needs, or digital learning demands fluctuate. This flexibility reduces over-provisioning, optimizes cost efficiency, and supports better financial planning in times of uncertain or variable funding. Additionally, GreenLake’s integrated management and support services free overstretched IT staff to focus on student success and innovation rather than routine maintenance. Institutions can also leverage GreenLake’s sustainability features to reduce energy usage and align with environmental goals, further strengthening their value proposition to students and stakeholders. Through real-world use cases and examples, this session will illustrate how HPE GreenLake empowers educational institutions to modernize securely, remain agile in the face of funding unpredictability, and continue delivering high-quality learning experiences without compromise.

Session 3, Horizon

P: A Financial Literacy Journey

Presenter: James McTavish

My presentation on taking your first steps on your financial and investment journey will walk through the newly developed investor education program created in partnership between the Siksika Board of Education and the Alberta Securities Commission. Available for grades 9-12, the program introduces students to the foundational concepts of financial literacy and investing, framing money as a tool to achieve their personal goals, including supporting their family, starting a business and giving back to their community.  With this year's conference theme of Cultural resilience and Innovation: Bridging tradition and modernity, this presentation explores how students can take the Seventh Generation Principle and apply it to their decisions as they graduate high school. From developing positive future-focused thinking and goals through to creating opportunities to foster intergenerational well-being, participants will learn how this program can create positive and lasting impacts for students as they transition to adulthood and become leaders in their communities.

Session 3, McKnight East

Q: Moving with Stories: Drama as a Pathway to Cultural Understanding

Presenter: Janine Owl Child

I strive to provide a unique opportunity to educate through hands-on experience, utilizing the creative arts and making connections to Siksika’s understandings. I design my workshops to inspire interest and motivation through art, music, movement, film, and drama. The Theatre arts help build and provide a safe, constructive outlet and supportive environment where participants can explore and develop new knowledge through imagination and creative expression. This "Moving With Stories" workshop equips educators with creative strategies for using the arts to engage students while fostering emotional, cognitive, and cultural growth. Participants will explore how storytelling and drama can function as powerful tools for enhancing literacy, sparking creativity, and building deeper connections in the classroom. A key feature of the session is the use of embodied theatre, an interactive approach where participants physically engage with stories through movement and dramatic expression. By “stepping into” stories, educators experience firsthand how students can develop empathy, imagination, and cultural awareness. This participatory method reflects oral traditions and emphasizes learning that is felt, remembered, and shared across generations. Aligned with the conference themes of “Honouring Our Heritage” and “Intergenerational Learning,” this workshop demonstrates how teaching through theatre strengthens cultural ways of knowing. Educators will leave with adaptable strategies for integrating embodied storytelling into their practice, ensuring that the arts continue to play a vital role in celebrating culture and enriching learning.

Session 3, Barlow

U: Siksika Traditional Games

Presenters: Donna Weasel Child, Darren Weasel Child, Gaylene Weasel Child

Participants will learn about various traditional games that can be taught within the classroom and encompasses Alberta Education curriculum.  This hands-on workshop will allow participants to practice the games and learn how to make the games.   

Session 3, Theatre

V: Singing is Medicine

Presenters: Alex Scalplock, Melodie Hunt, Josh Cardinal, Sean Cardinal, Calvin Koether

Chief Old Sun School and the SBE are proud to share the art of Powwow singing with our students and our community. Join educators Alex Scalplock, Melodie Hunt, Josh Cardinal, Sean Cardinal, and Calvin Koether, in showcasing some of the incredible cultural programs Natosapi School and the Siksika Board of Education have to offer. We hope that this session will inspire other schools to create their own programs, give some guidance in how such programs can be implemented, and give an opportunity to move, sing, and connect with the art of Powwow.

Session 3, Canadian

W: Blackfoot as a Second Language: Learning to Read and Write Blackfoot Using the Blackfoot Syllabarium

Presenter: Mona Melting Tallow, Sissakiikayaakii

As a third-generation Residential School survivor and an educator with nearly three decades of experience, I am deeply committed to the revitalization of Indigenous languages. Currently serving as Registrar at Natosapi Community College, I have completed intensive Blackfoot literacy and culture studies as part of my B.Ed., as well as graduate coursework in leadership, technology, and trauma. This presentation explores the use of the Blackfoot Syllabarium as an accessible and effective tool for teaching Blackfoot literacy to second-language learners. The Blackfoot Syllabarium, originally developed by Anglican missionaries, utilizes English phonetic approximations to represent Blackfoot sounds. Instruction involves introducing learners to the syllabic symbols, practicing pronunciation, and composing simple texts. Emphasis is placed on understanding the unique sounds and accents of the Blackfoot language to support accurate reading and writing. Participants are able to read and write basic Blackfoot words and sentences using both English and syllabic scripts. While initial proficiency can be achieved through guided practice, continued engagement and exposure are necessary to develop fluency. The survival of the Blackfoot language—and other Indigenous languages—depends on innovative and accessible teaching methods. The Blackfoot Syllabarium offers a practical solution for second-language learners, fostering a sense of belonging and cultural identity. By equipping students with literacy skills in their ancestral language, we contribute to the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous heritage.

Session 3, Macleod