Sexsmith Secondary School is proud to unveil a new space in the school library that is solely dedicated to Indigenous culture. Showcasing The Seven Sacred Teachings, ceremonial items and artwork created by artists from Alberta and other Canadian provinces, the goal of the space is to bring more Indigenous culture into the school.

Teachers Angela Creighton and Eric Goodwin decided to begin their project after hearing from the Peace Wapiti Public School Division’s Indigenous Education Services team at a Leadership Program meeting hosted by the Division. When asked about the spark that ignited the passion behind the project, Creighton says, “We were blown away by the presentation by our Indigenous Education Services team, and realized Sexsmith Secondary School needed an infusion of Indigenous culture and education.”

Along with the ceremonial items and artwork, there will occasionally be posters with information about what each item represents. As it is an ongoing project, the team plans to update the items and artwork monthly, based on different holidays and celebrations.

Sexsmith Secondary School’s Indigenous Education Services support Rachelle Bell says she is excited to see staff helping their school community move forward on its Indigenization journey. “Not only is it great to see teachers taking the initiative to bring culture into the schools, it’s amazing to see teachers taking the significant steps, and talking to the right people in order to do this in a culturally appropriate way. This is a great step toward reconciliation as it enhances the awareness for all people.”

A special thank you goes out to all the local artists, businesses and individuals who helped make this idea become a reality and for helping Sexsmith Secondary School move forward in their journey to reconciliation.

Stairs

Information provided by Peace Wapiti Public School Division