PEOPLE WORTH WATCHING
BROADENING OUR HORIZONS How an inquiry project sparked collaboration and learning between students in Nunavut and Ottawa By Cynthia Bifolchi
While many educators, quite understandably, lack confidence in teaching their students about Indigenous history and current issues, it is heartening to see a growing number of examples of Indigenous education in action. The inquiry project that Grades 3 and 6 students from St. James Catholic School in Kanata have undertaken with Grade 8 students at Qitiliq School in Arviat, Nunavut, is an excellent example of how educators are using creative ways to spark Indigenous knowledge and collaboration among students. Led by teachers Kimberley Stiff and Deborah Lewis, the main goal of the project is to help Qitiliq School increase student attendance. However, along the way, valuable learning is happening too. St. James students have been
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communicating with the Qitiliq students to learn more about Inuit culture, and Qitiliq students are learning about what life is like in Ottawa.
their Grades 7 and 8 students. “We loved the idea of collaboration at the primary, junior, intermediate, and senior levels,” says Kimberley.
“Deborah and I decided to undertake this deep learning project because our students came back from WE Day with many questions about… reconciliation,” says Kimberley. “Our social studies curriculum teaches them about the history of the first peoples of Canada, but not about the injustices made against them, or their present.” They already had a contact at Qitiliq School, Grade 8 teacher June Ellen Wells, so they decided to team up with her class for the project. They also chose to collaborate with teachers Marianne Graham and Cecilia DiFelice from St. James’ feeder high school, Holy Trinity, and
The St. James students are also working with the Qitiliq School students on their own respective school murals, each inspired by this collaboration. “Hopefully, we are helping them broaden their view of what makes Canada, just as they are broadening our view,” says Kimberley. “This is building understanding, respect, and appreciation of other cultures within Canada. They are understanding that by learning about the past, and learning about and from each other, they can work together to create something amazing.”
