ABORIGINAL TWINNING PROJECT

WESTWOOD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, HUDSON, QC
KAHNAWAKE SURVIVAL SCHOOL, KAHNAWAKE QC

The twinning of First Nations and public schools informs and engages all students involved to learn more about one another; to build trust and eliminate cultural stereotypes; to understand the effects of assimilation, and to learn more about Residential Schools. Most importantly, this project is a celebration of commonalities and differences. It’s an opportunity to nurture relationships for reflections, critical thinking, leadership, action, creativity and empowerment among First Nations and public school students. Aboriginal Twinning is a gateway to human rights issues in Canada.

Update (January 15, 2014)

We had a wonderful day together in Ottawa. Twenty three students and three teachers from Kahnawake Survival School traveled by school bus to Hudson. We all boarded 4 coach buses to Ottawa and arrived at 10:15. Students went to the Cenotaph for the ceremonies and then were able to spend lunch in the Byward market. We went to the Museum of War for a 2 hour tour and went to a special exhibit on Peace where there was a display on the various treaties and wampum belts and a display on the 5 nations confederacy. Wayne was very knowledgeable on the history and was able to teach us many things we did not know. We hope to do this event together again next year and maybe make it a tradition. Westwood is looking forward to a visit to Kahnawake Survival School and a small walking tour of the old fort and cultural center at Kahnawake sometime in the spring.