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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
With students returning to school, the Dehcho Divisional Education Council has held an orientation aimed at ensuring its staff know more about the culture and history of the region they are working in.

Martha Drake, left, Michel Benoit and Val Gendron share ideas during a session on how to teach students unspoken social rules which was part of the Dehcho Divisional Education Council's orientation. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Eighty teachers, principals, aboriginal language teachers and special needs assistants participated in the council's Deh Cho orientation that was held in Fort Simpson from Aug. 23 to 25. The council has held these events for a number of years but two years ago the Department of Education, Culture and Employment directed that all teachers need a specific orientation on culture, said Terry Jaffray, the council's superintendent.

Learning about the history of the Dene and their culture allows teachers and other staff to be better able to develop relationships with students and to understand where they are coming from, she said. This year, part of the region's history, residential schools, was the topic of the keynote address by Ethel and Rene Lamothe.

During the presentation, the couple had the council's staff play the roles of community members living in the Deh Cho 50 years ago. They acted out what it would have been like before residential school and afterwards when the children were taken away.

"That was powerful," said Jaffray.

Rene advised teachers to be patient, kind and empathetic when working with families where the parents attended residential schools when they were young. He also challenged staff to do their own research about residential schools.

Staff also learned more about the region during a presentation by Gladys Norwegian. She has developed a CD titled Trails to Becoming that teaches people about the Dene Kede curriculum and Dene people's worldview. The CD helps people understand their own cultural biases and learn about Dene language and culture with open eyes, minds and hearts, said Jaffray.

Staff who wanted a more hands-on experience had the opportunity to go to Martin River with Andy Norwegian. At the river Andy taught teachers skills they'll need if they want to take their students out on the land including how to set up a canvas tent and lay down spruce boughs.

Teaching bush skills

The goal was to show the teachers bush skills so they'll be able to participate in events and activities in their community instead of being on the sidelines, Jaffray said.

Among the staff at the orientation were 18 new teachers. This is a higher-than-average turnover for the council, she said.

The vacancies were created through a number of factors including retirements, teachers moving to other districts and teachers taking new jobs within the district, said Jaffray.

Jaffray said she was encouraged by the fact that prior to the orientation, all of the new teachers had already been to their communities.

"It shows they're keen to work in the region and be part of their communities," she said.

Jeff Planetta, the new principal at Charles Yohin School, said Nahanni Butte is beautiful.

Planetta, who is originally from Cape Breton, N.S., said he was drawn to work in Nahanni Butte because of the chance to see a different part of Canada and to do a lot of outdoor education. Planetta enjoys archery, fishing and hunting and is excited to climb the butte beside the community.

Planetta, who'd never been to the territory before, said the orientation was enlightening.

"It makes you culturally aware," he said.

Jim Broomfield, a new social studies teacher at Thomas Simpson School, said he also found the orientation helpful.

"It's certainly provided a whole lot of info," he said.

Broomfield, who's originally from Newfoundland, said the orientation gave him the chance to meet other council staff from across the region and to form a network of contacts.

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