Shannen’s dream came

Shannen dreamed of a proper school in her little town of Attawapiskat in northern Canada. But instead she had a classroom in ice-cold portable trailers, on contaminated ground. So Shannen told the minister responsible at that time what he should do, and became the leader of Students helping Students, the biggest ever child-led campaign in Canada.

To get to Attawapiskat, which means “people of the parting of the rocks” in Shannen’s language, Cree, you have to travel as far north as you can and then take a small plane. There are hardly any roads here, apart from in the winter when the lakes and rivers freeze, and cars and buses can travel on the ice.

Shannen Koostachin was a First Nations child of the Cree community. When she looked up to the night sky and saw the stars, it was exactly like her forefathers had done for thousands of years. That made her happy, but she was also often sad because she couldn’t go to a good school.

The elders had been passing on knowledge for thousands of years from their forefathers, people and animals who had lived before them. But to be a lawyer, which was Shannen’s dream, she needed a good education. And she wasn’t getting that in Attawapiskat.

Life in Attawapiskat

In Shannen’s little hometown of Attawapiskat there’s now a lovely new school, thanks to Shannen’s dream. And a new youth centre. But there are still lots of problems. Some families live in dilapidated houses, tents or sheds without insulation, electricity or clean water. The tap water contains hazardous chemicals, so the town’s inhabitants have to fetch their own drinking water. Now even that water is showing traces of toxic chemicals. Sometimes the electricity network and sewage system break down. On occasions the town is flooded by stinking sewage water and sludge. The tough way of life and lack of hope in the future makes both children and adults unhappy. Some drink alcohol or take drugs. And some even take their own lives. It’s far more common for a child from a First Nations reserve to commit suicide than in other parts of Canada. Many, including teachers, parents and leaders in Attawapiskat and other reserves, are fighting hard to help children who are suffering from depression and to prevent more suicides.

Contaminated school

A few decades before Shannen was born, Attawapiskat got its first proper school, with bright classrooms, a gym and colourful walls. Everyone was happy. But before long, the children and teachers started getting headaches, and they felt tired and unwell. The parents complained, but it took twenty years before the authorities investigated the ground underneath the school and found a leaking pipe there. It must have cracked when the school was being built. Tens of thousands of litres of foul-smelling fuel had leaked out over the years, contaminating the ground and making the children sick. The school was closed, and grey portacabins were put up in the schoolyard. The politicians said that it was a temporary solution, but nine years on the children were still waiting for their new school.

Mice and mould

By the time Shannen started school, the poorly insulated cabins were already in a bad state. The winters in Attawapiskat are extremely cold, and sometimes ice would form on the walls inside the classroom.

DREAMED OF: Safe and comfy schools.

WANTED TO BE: A lawyer.

DIDN’T LIKE: Broken promises.

NICKNAME: Shan.

LIKED: Dancing.

LOVED: Her family and her friends.

Shannen and the other children had to put on thick jackets, hats and gloves several times a day when they were changing classroom or going to the toilet. When there was a power cut, like after a severe storm, there was no heating or light.

The teachers tried their best, but they didn’t have enough books or materials, because the school wasn’t given anywhere near enough money by the government. It got so bad that children as young as nine started to drop out of school. Shannen knew why:

“It’s hard to feel pride when your classrooms are cold, and the mice run over our lunches.