Hundreds of students at Eric Langton Elementary in Maple Ridge learned about Indigenous games as they celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day on Friday.
This was the fifth annual Traditional Indigenous Games Day at the school where 465 students rotated through 18 stations, organized by leadership students at the school.
Stations included games like: double ball, lacrosse, the bone game, animal muk, bison run, spear throw, and one foot high kick.
Leadership students made up of students from the Grades 6/7 French immersion class and Grades 5/6 English class ran through the history of each game to the rotations of students, before teaching them how to play.
It's a youth leadership initiative, an inquiry project where they researched Indigenous games from across Turtle Island, explained Katrina Haintz, a member of the Coast Salish Hwlitsum First Nation and Aboriginal support worker at the school. Turtle Island is an Indigenous reference to the continent of North America.
Students incorporated Inuit games, Metis games, First Nation games – trying to honour all cultures that represent our school.
"I think for me, the most important part of this, it's an act of reconciliation. Seeing our Indigenous youth working alongside our non-Indigenous youth, and come together with such excitement, and such pride, and such joy in what they do and how they are sharing the teachings. It's beautiful," said Haintz.
Katzie First Nation elder Coleen Pierre has participated in the games since they started at the school. She is honoured to participate, especially since the games are held within her traditional territory.
"You can feel the excitement, the adrenaline from the students," said Pierre, who was impressed by the students' willingness to learn about Indigenous culture at the school.
And the students have learned so much, she said, that when they see her, they advise her on events, no longer asking her questions.
"It demonstrates that they are being taught in a well manner. And I respect the fact that they want to learn about the local Indigenous community," noted Pierre.
"Everything about today is magnificent. It's beautiful and I am honoured to be here," said the elder.
Principal Brandy Mcintyre noted that the leadership students put in a lot of effort planning for the day's games. They learned about the history of the each game, they planned each of the games' stations in advance, they prepared the information they were to read out before each game bout its history, and then ran the stations for the day.
"They have just taken the student leadership role so to heart and they are doing it with open minds and open hearts," she said, adding she is so proud of the work they are doing along with staff, as they try to, "embed the Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being within our school community."
Students also learned about Indigenous dancing with demonstrations by The Wild Moccasin Dancers, who performed in the school's gym.
