RYERSON PARTNERS TO TEACH THROUGH INDIGENOUS CULTURAL LENS

CHURCH OFFICIALS PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURAL WORLD TO STUDENTS

Lynn Nicholson was at her rural Flamborough home when she unexpectedly saw a blue bird flying about the trees.

It prompted her to suggest, at a recent Carolinian open house hosted by Ryerson United Church, the students could construct birdhouses and attract the feathered friends into their own backyards. It's another facet of how the partnership between the church, the Métis Women's Circle and the Foundations Montessori School have united to teach nature through an Indigenous cultural lens, said Nicholson, the church administrator.

"The students are continuing their Indigenous cultural education, which began with the medicine garden initiative," said Paula Starbuck, co-chair of Ryerson Church Council. She said the students not only learn woodworking skills, but also are taught Mohawk words related to birds.

About 10 students attending the Foundations Montessori school, which is located at Ryerson United Church, were listening intently as Rick Smith explained how to put together their bird houses.

The project encourages older adults to engage in physical and educational activities while mentoring local youth. The programs include workshops and awareness events based on the local flora and fauna of the Carolinian forest zone. Indigenous elders will provide culturally specific interpretation.

In December 2021, the Métis Women's Circle developed a grant proposal to enhance the medicine walk program located on the grounds of Fieldcote Memorial Park and Museum, called "Our Medicine Walk: ononhkwa'shon:'a." The garden includes about a dozen native plant species, which have a special significance in Indigenous culture. The plants were selected for their healing properties and each plant species includes a sign bearing its English and Mohawk name, with purple lettering to match the Haudenosaunee Dish With One Spoon Wampum. The grant was provided to the Métis Women's Circle by the federal government for older adults and youth education programs focused on the Carolinian forest.

Carolinian Canada is a diverse and fragile ecoregion stretching from Toronto to Windsor.

Nicholson, of the Haudenosaunee/Métis Women's Circle, said the program is about "youth and seniors working together in harmony with nature." She said they were also preparing to put up signs identifying plants in the medicine walk in the Mohawk language, such as kanon'tinekens for a milkweed and atahkwaka': ion for the purple flowering raspberry.

It's another way Ryerson United Church officials are passing on their knowledge of the natural world to students. An important component of the students' education is how they are taught life skills, such as woodworking and beading, and learning the

Mohawk language.

It's no surprise Ryerson is heavily involved in teaching the community about Indigenous culture as well as identifying issues involving Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. In June Ryerson was involved with the Métis Women's Circle to create the Indigenous medicine garden at Fieldcote Museum, hosting the Carolinian forest open house and the in-depth Kairos Blanket experience.

And on Sept. 30, Truth and Reconciliation Day, the church will be distributing orange T-shirts to students and flying the residential school flag on the church's electronic sign on the front lawn of the church, said Starbuck.

She said Ryerson is also applying to the United Church of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Fund for the purchase of a large boulder to be engraved with Mohawk writing to mark the medicine garden at Fieldcote.

"This will be an enduring installation to identify the four partners involved with this initiative — Fieldcote, Foundations school, the Métis Women's Circle and Ryerson United Church.

Future plans for the project include hosting a special event featuring Indigenous activities, botanical photographic instruction at the garden for students and to link internationally with Indigenous elders in Australia to share botanical knowledge.