b'Manitou Akiing Land Based Education Program Shirley Ewanchuks Story as told to Melanie Davlut, Divisional EAL TeacherNinoshe Shirley (Shirley Ewanchuk) started in Louis Riel SchoolNinoshe Shirley has also conducted professional Division as the creator of the Ojibwe culture and languagedevelopment sessions for human ecology teachers, program. She is now a member of the divisional Learning Teamincluding deer hide brain-tanning, geese and duck and works closely with human ecology and geography teachers toplucking and fish fileting with Peguis First Nation infuse Indigenous teachings into the curriculum. knowledge keepers. She has conducted a curriculum review for Indigenous content and will work to In the fall of 2020, she started the Manitou Akiing Land-Basedsequence the teachings and build on the lessons Education Program. She worked closely with Heidi Forrester,across grades 9 to 12. Her goal is to get human Human Ecology Consultant, to further the link of humanecology teachers out of the classroom and on to the land.ecology to the Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP). One of the MYSP priorities is belonging and inviting all staff, learners, andNinoshe Shirleys recent project has been working with Grade guardians to contribute to a culture of equity and inclusion. They10 geography teachers to instill Indigenous perspectives into the have created a draft poster and placemats based on the Circle ofFood from the Land unit. She drafted a unit, piloted it, and is now Courage to bring this into focus. Ninoshe Shirley and Heidi alsoreceiving feedback on this project. Indigenous perspectives on worked with teachers in the division to create a standard lessonhow we view the land; Indigenous food; archaeological digs; food plan infused with Indigenous teachings and perspectives that cansovereignty and security; pre-settler, fur trade, and post fur trade; be used across courses.settlers privileges; how to plant seeds; gathering (for example, maple syrup harvesting); cooking on the land; nature walks; and Some projects throughout the 2021-2022 school year includedbuilding little people houses are incorporated into these lessons. growing an edible schoolyard; Indigenous plant and medicineEach lesson mirrors the seven teachings. For the upcoming year, knowledge; Indigenous food sovereignty and Indigenous foodsshe would like to put more time aside to create the lessons so that we eat; Indigenous clothing and shelter, which includedthat they are sequenced and scaffolded in a way that teachers making ribbon dresses and sharing furs and artifacts; researchingunderstand what a knowledge keeper needs to impart and what a clan teachings of colours and the history of beading and quillingnon-Indigenous teacher can teach.while using natural dyes made from plants; turtle, eagle and tipi teachings; making relationship bundles; and exploring traditionalThe Mantiou Akiing program will continue to expand into the birthing and parenting practices. 2022-2023 school year as Shirley develops additional Indigenous land-based lessons within human ecology and work alongside geography teachers. 24'