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Kootenay Lake School District invites public to engage in Indigenous Knowledge, Cultural Collaborations

Contributor
By Contributor
February 25th, 2020

Celebrating Indigenous knowledge and culture is at the core of Kootenay Lake School District’s commitment to Aboriginal Education and invites the community to participate in two upcoming initiatives happening at the Capitol Theatre in March.

  • From The Heart: One Day. One Circle – Capitol Theatre, Nelson, Thursday March 5 – 6:30 p.m. – presented by Mount Sentinel High School students
  • Indigenous Culture Celebration – Capitol Theatre, Nelson, Friday March 6 ​- 6 p.m. – presented by School District #8 District Aboriginal Education team

The theatre art project, From the Heart: One Day. One Circle, is the culmination of the hard work and dedication of a small group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at Mt. Sentinel Secondary that has been in the works for the past six months.

Mt. Sentinel students, with the support of their Aboriginal Education teacher Andrea Mann, have co-created a narrative for the performance that addresses colonial history, while also sharing traditional teachings they learned working with many Elders, Knowledge Keepers, artists and other community members.

“I am so proud of these students for their courage, and for how they have built a strong and supportive circle for Indigenous students at our school,” said Andrea Mann.

At its core, the collaborative project engages with the concepts of Truth, Resurgence and Reconciliation. Through the process, the students have created an experimental performance that fuses theatre, music, dance and media together to serve as a vehicle to promote meaningful dialogue and stimulate collective action toward a more just and sustainable future.

The project is one of four youth-led explorations across BC, funded and supported by VIDEA, a non-profit organization that fosters justice-focused youth initiatives.

“It is exciting to see them leading and sharing culture with pride, and I really value the example they are setting for the younger ones coming up,” says Mann, hoping there will be a great turn out from the public for the March 5th performance.

The following evening, March 6th, the district with co-host its 5th annual Indigenous Culture Celebration at the theatre. This year’s theme is Honouring Intergenerational teachings and will include special guests from the Lower Kootenay Band (Yaqan Nukiy), the Colville Confederated Tribes, and the Metis nations.

Tickets for both events can be purchased on the Capitol Theatre website.

About The Board of Education of School District No. 8 (Kootenay Lake):

The Board of Education of School District No. 8 provides educational services to numerous diverse communities in the East & West Kootenays, including Crawford Bay, Creston, Kaslo, Meadow Creek, Nelson, Salmo, Slocan, South Slocan, Winlaw, Wynndel and Yahk. Its dedicated team focuses on providing the best possible educational opportunities for over 5,400 students and their families. Its mission is to focus on excellence for all learners in a nurturing environment.

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