KOSSS Land Base & Native Language Program Overview
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
KOSSS Land Base & Native Language Program Overview KEEWAYTINOOK OKIMAKANAK SECONDARY STUDENT SERVICES PRESENTER: LAND BASE COORDINATOR, NICOLE MCKAY Keewaytinook Okimakanak Chiefs Council Keewaytinook KO Board of Okimakanak Education Tribal Council (KOBE) (KO) KO Secondary Student Services Other KO KOSSS KO Service Keewaytinook Delivery Internet High Programs School (KIHS) Keewaytinook Okimakanak Communities Fort Severn First Nation McDowell Lake First Nation Deer Lake First Nation Keewaywin First Nation Poplar Hill First Nation North Spirit Lake First Nation Welcome to Keewaytinook Okimakanak Keewaytinook Okimakanak means Northern Chiefs in Oji- Cree. Non-political Chiefs Council serving Deer Lake, Fort Severn, Keewaywin, McDowell Lake, North Spirit Lake and Poplar Hill First Nations. Directed by the Chiefs of the member First Nations who form the Board of Directors. Through its close awareness of community needs and its team approach, the Council advises and assists its member First Nations. The Council provides services in the areas of health, education, economic development, employment assistance, legal, research, public works, finance and administration, and computer communications (K-Net Services). The Executive Director liaises with the six Chiefs, with the staff of the Council and with other organizations and governments. www,kochiefs.ca KOSSS Keewaytinook Okimakanak Secondary Student Services About KOSSS KOSSS offers support services to First Nations students who leave their home communities to pursue secondary school education. Support staff and student counsellors are located in Thunder Bay, Dryden, and Sioux Lookout. KOSSS works with partners to provide students with a safe and successful learning experience. Core services include administering boarding homes, on-call student transportation and tuition agreements. KOSSS also coordinates programs to support student success by keeping a strong connection between students, their families and culture through video conference, family visits, cultural and recreational programs and tutoring. KOSSS Current Student Services Boarding Safe Home Multi Sober Program Purpose House Youth Active Workers Program Student Intervention Wellness Support YAP Program Workers Well Native Being Language Students Workers 360 Circle of Land Elders Care Base Program Program Land Base Activity Tutors Centres Transportation Database Camp Program Site KOSSS Land Base Program Monthly Clothing Program and Calendars Equipment Native Language Program Land Base Land Base Cultural Program Camp Transportation Program Training Elders Opportunities Program Land Base Program The Land Based & Native Language Program provides after school and weekend land base activity support for KOSSS community secondary students in Sioux Lookout, Pelican Falls High School, Dryden, and Thunder Bay, ON. Activities Activities are culturally and traditional focused. They follow the seasonal teachings and changes within the academic school year. Teachers, Elders, & Resource People Teachers, Elders, and resource helpers who are asked to work with KOSSS students have traditional, land base, and native language knowledge teachings. They share their teachings with students during the activities. Collaborative Work Land Base Programming often collaborates with other departments such as; Well Being Program-Active Wellness and Intervention House Programming Keewaytinook Okimakanak Board Of Education-Elders & Youth Gathering and Elders Symposium Collaborative Work Collaborative Work also included working with High School Outdoor Education Class participating in Land Base Activities High School Elders Program KOSSS’s Student Activity Centre City’s Youth Gathering Events Native Language Native Language teachings are immersed within all aspects of the program and is taught during the activities. There are 3 dialects that are within KOSSS Communities; Cree, Oji-Cree, and Ojibwe. KOSSS works towards getting language speakers from the communities to be part of the Land Base Activities. Activities done Mitt Making Learning about Trapping Activities that have been Land Scouting part of the program include; Hand Drum Making Annual Fall Camping Trip Snowshoeing Moose Hunting Art and Paint Nights Rabbit Snaring Flint Arrow Making Partridge Hunting Hide Tanning and Prep Fishing & Ice Fishing Traditional Food Prep Medicine Harvesting and Feasting Teachings Drum Circles Winter Teachings Camp Blueberry Picking Goose/Duck Hunting Beading Student Input Each year students are asked what they would like to learn, experience, or continue to learn in the Land Base & Native Language Program. This is to ensure student’s interests are met. Students participation is key to running a successful program so we work towards what they would like to learn. Additional Supports Safety Wear & Equipment Providing safety wear is necessary to ensuring students are comfortable and safe when participating in Land Base & Native Language Programming. Safety wear gear include: jacket, snow pants, rain gear, hats and mitts, orange safety wear etc. Additional Supports Safety Wear & Equipment KOSSS also provides seasonal equipment to access lands and waters to run program. These items include: boat & motor, snow machines & sleds, and land base truck. Smaller machinery items include: ice augers, chainsaws, tools, hunting items, etc. Additional Supports Training Opportunity is available for students to take Safety training in various fields within Land Based Culture. Our students have participated in Firearms Safety Courses and Outdoor Wilderness training. Student Program Learning Focus Land Base Activities and Cultural Teachings Native Language Teachings Skill Development Self Esteem Building Learning Positive Coping Skills Creating Safe Learning Environments Student Program Learning Focus Building a healthy community Positive connections to self, family, community and environment History of our peoples and communities to gain understanding of colonization impacts Learning their personal strengths and gifts KOSSS Land Base Cultural Camp WARNING Pictures include traditional harvesting and cultural practices from KO First Nations Students and KOSSS Staff Reference: Section 35 of The Constitution Act, 1982 Annual Student Hunting Camp Nicole McKay KOSSS Land Base Coordinator Email: [email protected].