As Covid health restrictions loosened in our area, the month of March offered a wider selection of events for youth. Here’s a short summary of some of the activities that Inner City coordinated during the month.
March 9/2022
SNOW VALLEY SKI TRIP
Youth Engagement staff and students visited Edmonton’s Snow Valley Ski Hill for a fun day on the slopes!
March 9/2022
VIRTUAL YOUTH CONFERENCE
Teaching staff turned the gym into a virtual activity centre allowing youth to watch and participate in a live streamed indigenous event. The second annual oskaya êkiskwayihtamowin osihcikêwin Indigenous Youth Rising Conference provided an opportunity for youth to explore educational and career opportunities, celebrate culture, and hear from young Indigenous artists, content creators, entrepreneurs. Beading and other activities were set up around a large screen TV.
March 10/2022
LIVE PLAY AT ARTS BARNS
Inner City High School teachers took some students to Ayita, a play at Edmonton’s Old Strathcona Bus Barns. The play by Teneil Whiskeyjack is a calling back to one’s spirit and voice. It is a modern-day creation story that meets Indigenous realities, told through text and movement. It fused theatre and Indigenous contemporary dance, while navigating through herstory of sovereignty, and awakening to her medicine. Our special thanks for the tickets from the event organizer.
March 17/2022
MUSEUM FIELD TRIP
Inner City High School teachers took 18 Indigenous Studies and Social Studies students for an offsite excursion to Musée Héritage Museum in St. Albert, for a guided review of Alberta Metis history. Aboriginal Programmer, Celina Loyer, led youth through the giant stone sculptures by Stewart Steinhauer where they showed love to “Mother Bear Prays for Earth’s Healing”. After a short guided walk, we learned about historic Metis family camps prior to Father Lacombe’s arrival and ended up at the Healing Garden for storytelling.
We returned indoors for a short presentation about Residential School history, Metis Scrip, Road Allowances as well as inspiring, personal stories of the Metis Famous Five. Youth remarked that they gained deeper insight about the complex process of acquiring Scrip, new knowledge that Metis families also were forced to send their children to Residential School in St. Albert and a small church from 1800s is still standing! Students loved completing a Museum Scavenger Hunt and enjoyed reading the displays about local cultural history on display.
