SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Staff from Yellowknife Catholic Schools learned about aboriginal traditions by the Yellowknife River on Tuesday.

Jenn Hamann, a Grade 4 teacher at St. Joseph School, learned how to prepare moose hide near the Yellowknife River as part of the Yellowknife Catholic Schools cultural orientation on Tuesday. - Adrian Lysenko/NNSL photo

"Every teacher is required to incorporate Dene culture into their curriculum across all subjects so this will give them a better understanding of how they might be able to do that," said Diane Lafferty, aboriginal culture and language co-ordinator for Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment requires all school districts in the territory to hold two cultural orientation days every year for staff.

"In the past we've had new teachers come in, we hand them the Dene Kede curriculum and we say, 'OK, incorporate this,'" said Lafferty. "This gives them the hands-on experience."

About 160 teachers, classroom assistants and staff from the school district participated in the orientation which took place near the Weledeh site by the Yellowknife River and in Dettah.

"Our school district is about 52 per cent aboriginal students so it's important that teachers, especially teachers that are from somewhere else, understand a little bit about the culture because it's going to help them teach kids in the long run," said David Radcliffe, aboriginal program co-ordinator for Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

At the orientation, staff participated in 10 different activities including drum making, traditional medicine, beading, crafts as well as Dene art.

"It's important to teach the children about their own culture," said Carrie Monks, a Grade 1 and 2 teacher at Weledeh Catholic School.

"This is my first time beading," said Monks. "It is all new to me, so I know how the kids feel."

Fred Drygeese was instructing some staff on how to prepare moose hide.

"They're doing pretty good and getting right in there," said Drygeese, who said he enjoyed teaching the Dene traditions to newcomers. "It makes everybody feel at home in the North."

Jenn Hamann, a Grade 4 teacher at St. Joseph School, said it was hard work learning how to prepare moose hide but she said she enjoyed learning about Dene culture.

"I love it," said Hamann. "It allows you to become grounded and allows you to remember how much learning you have to do as a teacher."

The school district will have another cultural orientation in October.

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