Visit to the Toronto Zoo

Visit to the Toronto Zoo

Olivia provides the ideal perch for the special guest.  Toronto Zoo interpretor Kim Wheatley arranged a wonderful day for visiting students and parents on Saturday, December 12.

Spring Camp 2010

Spring Camp 2010

Spirit Calling - Spring Camp II is scheduled to run from May 26 to 28, 2010 at the Youth Leadership Camp Canada located on Pigeon Lake. This is the second year for this unique camp experience designed for Aboriginal students and students attending Native Studies courses in secondary school. 

Métis Flag Raised at the Education Centre

Métis Flag Raised at the Education Centre

Once again, the Métis flag was raised at the Education Centre to recognize Louis Riel Day (November 16th). Members of the Oshawa Métis Council were in attendance to present the flag to the Director of Education, Martyn Beckett.

November 20th Professional Activity Day

November 20th Professional Activity Day

On the November 20th P.A. Day, Elder Joeseph Paquette shared the wisdom of his ancestors through the traditional teaching of the Medicine Wheel and his knowledge of 'medicines' of many indigenous plants.

Grade 3 In-service

Grade 3 In-service

Raven Murphy leads a group of grade 3 educators on Medicine Wheel Teachings during a recent in-service held at the Education Centre.

Year of the Inuit

2010 Declared Year of the Inuit

The head of Canada's Inuit organization wants to draw national attention to Inuit culture and issues next year, which has been declared the Year of the Inuit.
Announcing the 12 month-long initiative, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Mary Simon said she wants to raise awareness of the challenges Inuit face in Canada.
"The Inuit cannot only be remembered during times of [Arctic] sovereignty issues," Simon said in a news release.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is the organization that represents Canada's four Inuit regions – Nunatsiavut (Labrador), Nunavik (northern Quebec), Nunavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories.
Simon said Canadians are sympathetic to Inuit people, but that sympathy is not translating into action on serious issues such as housing shortages and the high cost of living.
Simon noted that the income of an average Inuk is half that of non-aboriginal Canadians while the cost of living in the Arctic is three to four times higher than south of 60.
An Ipsos-Reid online poll done for Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami this month revealed that Canadians don't know much about the Inuit people or the Arctic in general.
According to the poll, only 25 per cent of Canadians knew that Inuit pay taxes, including income tax, GST and, depending on where they live, PST.
Seven per cent of respondents said they have visited Canada's Arctic, but 74 per cent said they would like to learn more about it.
The 1,007 adults who were polled by Ipsos-Reid were given a true or false quiz of 20 questions about the Arctic and the Inuit. About 31 per cent of them scored poorly on the quiz.
Simon said she hopes public events leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics — whose official emblem is the inuksuk, an Inuit symbol — will create more awareness about not only Inuit issues but also their culture.

Upcoming Events

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What's New on Our Website?

Last updated: January 5, 2010

We are continually updating our website. If you are a returning visitor, check this section first.We continue to accept registrations for this year's Aboriginal Family Activity and Student Mentorship Program. Select the following link to learn more about the program (places and dates) and acquire a registration form. (AFASM Program). Resources for Educators has been updated. 

Now under construction - School-based initiatives found under DDSB Initiatives.

Welcome to Spirit Calling

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Spirit Calling is the Aboriginal Education website for the Durham District School Board. Our objective is to keep you informed as to what our board is doing to support Aboriginal Education.  This site is designed for both for educators and families. 
We would be pleased to hear from you! If you have any comments or suggestions regarding our website, please use one of the the links below to contact our office. You could also phone Bill Littlefair, Program Officer/Aboriginal Studies (905) 666-6397 or Deanna Fry, Aboriginal Education Facilitator (905) 666-6301.

 

bill_littlefair@durham.edu.on.ca

deanna_fry@durham.edu.on.ca

Port Perry High School Receives the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award

By Nancy Hamer Strahl
2009 Think Indigenous Expo
Port Perry High School is starting the New Year with great news! I am pleased to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Ontario Heritage Trust has selected the Port Perry High School 'Think Indigenous' expo students to receive the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Youth Achievement in cultural heritage. This award recognizes the most exceptional groups of young heritage volunteers. The award included a certificate and and pin and will be presented to Port Perry High School 'Think Indigenous' expo students at a ceremony to be held at Queen's Park during Ontario's Heritage Week.

We will be going to Queen's Park on February 19, 2010. 57 Durham students will be honoured for their hard work and dedication in preserving our cultural heritage. What is remarkable is that the group is very diverse and includes students from our Native Studies, Special Education , Culinary Arts and French Immersion programs. They worked together to showcase the culture of Indigenous peoples from around the country. We are so pleased for our students and the Durham District School Board as only three school boards are represented every year for this prestigious award.  

 

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Art Beaver, (Education Manager), Larry Jacula, (Board Chairperson), and Nancy Hamer Strahl (NS Teacher)

Food prepared by the Culinary Arts Program

Variety of projects shared

 

© Durham District School Board, Programs Department.