BARRHEAD – A new land-based learning camp for Indigenous students will take place from June 3 to 5, providing an immersive cultural experience aimed at deepening connections to heritage, fostering environmental stewardship, and developing leadership skills.
Deputy Superintendent Raime Drake announced the initiative at a recent Pembina Hills School Division meeting, emphasizing the significance of this first-of-its-kind program.
“This is our first land-based camp for Indigenous students, and we are starting off with the Cadillac version of this,” said Drake. “Our goal is for high school students to strengthen their cultural connection, develop practical skills, and enhance their leadership and teamwork.”
The three-day, two-night camp will be held at Métis Crossing near Smoky Lake, accommodating 22 students from high schools across the division, including Barrhead Composite High School, RF Staples High School, Outreach School, and Vista Virtual School.
Drake emphasized that the camp is not intended to be a one-time event, but rather the beginning of a sustainable program. The expectation is that students in grades 10 and 11 who participate will share their experiences with peers and bring their learning back to their schools.
“We want students to actively participate in heart-filling and spirit-filling learning,” said Drake, echoing the words of a knowledge worker involved in the camp.
Participants will engage in outdoor learning, meet new people, and build connections before the camp begins. To enhance safety and preparedness, students must obtain First Aid and CPR certification before attending, a requirement covered by Pembina Hills School Division at a cost of $185 per student.
The program, developed by Northland School Division, will be led by Elder Lilyrose Meyers, a kokum, Knowledge Keeper, and teacher at Métis Crossing. Alongside her, Métis Knowledge Workers Cheryl Devin and Jason Bay Charles will guide students through traditional skills and activities.
Devin, a retired Elk Island teacher with experience at Barrhead Composite High School, will lead tanning workshops, a medicine walk, and fish scale art sessions. Charles, a certified educator with 25 years of experience, will work with students to build a trapper’s tent and demonstrate trapping techniques using safety-adjusted traps.
Oskâpêwis (helpers) Holly Brownsma and Darrion Letendre, both educators with extensive backgrounds, will also assist at the camp. Additional school representatives include Shellina Esch, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit liaison; Francis Campiou, Swan Hills education assistant with her own trapline; Joanne Wallace, Outreach School Coordinator; and Derek Dachyshyn from RF Staples School. Early Learning Principal Kelly Ferguson and Raime Drake will also support the event as assessors and chaperones.
Students attending the camp will sleep in trapper’s tents and bring essential supplies. School principals and staff have nominated students who are seen as strong leaders or in need of credits to benefit from this experience.
The camp is open to any student who self-identifies as First Nation, Métis, or Inuit. Funding for the Land-Based Learning Camp and pre-camp activities, including transportation, food, accommodations, and programming, is being provided by Rupertsland Institute, Actua, and Pembina Hills School Division. The division is also covering busing costs to Métis Crossing, while teacher support is being provided in-kind.
With a focus on cultural enrichment, environmental responsibility, and leadership, this initiative aims to create meaningful experiences that will extend beyond the camp itself, fostering long-term growth and learning for students in the Pembina Hills School Division.
