This year Lawrence Park CI built their capacity as a school to raise greater awareness of essential Indigenous Education by not only opening up an interactive lesson with the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada Giant Floor Map for their own staff and students to take part in, but also by inviting the students and staff of John Ross Robertson JPS and Glenview SPS to engage in lessons with the map as well.
Students from all 3 schools participated in an exploration of the map through the lens of "Water Is Life,” with a focus on Indigenous communities in Canada without access to safe, clean water. The lessons combined grades and worked to elevate greater awareness of barriers to Indigenous communities, and the project was undertaken as a commitment to the work of building renewed relationships with Indigenous Peoples, and understanding, dignity and respect towards the goal of Truth and Reconciliation each and every day at Lawrence Park and beyond.
"The Indigenous Atlas served LPCI as a powerful tool, allowing students and staff to visually explore the diverse Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. It provided an opportunity for students and staff to connect with the land and acknowledge the historical and ongoing active, living, vital presence of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples in Canada. By studying the map, and immersing themselves in the sheer magnitude of its visual narratives, students and staff gained a profound appreciation for the cultural diversity, traditional territories, and unique histories of various Indigenous nations," shared LPCI Principal Michael Griesz.