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FNTI visits Lindsay Adult Education Centre

I, Lindsay Brumwell, Marketing Assistant with FNTI was recently invited to spend the morning with the students of Lindsay Adult Education Centre in Lindsay, Ontario. This school is a part of the Trillium Lakelands District School Board. The students range in age from 19-55. They had just completed reading a novel by Sherman Alexie and were eager to learn more about Indigenous cultures. I shared cultural teachings with them by opening with a traditional opening address in the Mohawk Language, and then a smudge was done for the entire circle of students and staff. The importance of smudging was talked about, and the students had many questions about the Mohawk culture and our ways of knowing and being in this world. The students were fascinated and genuinely intrigued by the teachings they learned, and were extremely grateful for the chance to explore and learn about something new. After sharing in the circle about what we were each grateful for, we moved on to talk about the various programs and opportunities available at FNTI. I talked about our unique approach to culturally-infused sharing and learning, and the role of Educational Support Officers and Cultural Advisors in the classroom environment. Once we were done sharing and getting to know each other, we went inside and I taught the students how to make dream catchers. The students enjoyed this activity and found it very challenging. They were so pleased with their final products and they proudly displayed and showed off their creations. It was a lovely way to connect with these learners and offer them a small glimpse into our culture. I was grateful for the chance to speak my language for them, and share all about our culture and practices. It was a great day for everyone involved and I look forward to participating in more experiences like this in the future. 

smoke and feather

facing each other

catchers