ABORIGINAL TWINNING PROJECT

PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU SCHOOL, GATINEAU, QC
NIPISIHKOPAHK ELEMENTARY, HOBBEMA, AB

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 17, 2014)

Students in Lisa Howell's Grade 4/5/6 class (http://room224.yolasite.com) at Pierre Elliott Trudeau School in Gatineau, Quebec are excited to be twinned with Kim Patriquin's Grade 3 class at Samson Cree Nation Elementary School (http://www.scnea.com/NES/) in Hobbema, Alberta. The classes intention for the project is three-fold. One aspect is to simply get to know each other and develop friendships over Skype, letters and to ultimately share stories about their lives. The second part of the project is to co-author a book that will feature the stories that the students have shared with each other. The books will also showcase student art, photographs and other expressions of their lives. The third aspect of the project involves Ms. Howell's class sharing their experiences with Project of Heart and guiding Ms. Patriquin's class through the project. Ms. Howell's class created a teepee covered with tiles as a commemoration project, and the students in Ms. Patriquin's class are excited to do the same. Both teepees will be offered as reconciliation gifts to local Aboriginal Centres in Hobbema and Ottawa.