THUNDER BAY - Gakino'amaage: Teach For Canada recently hosted its 10th annual Summer Enrichment Program at Lakehead University, bringing together 36 teachers who will soon begin teaching in 32 First Nations communities across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario.
“The program gets stronger every year,” said Deanna Matthews, president of Gakino'amaage. “We hear from partners the need for more language, more culture, more time spent on the land, more time spent in circle, understanding where we come from to really inform where the organization is going.”
The Summer Enrichment Program centres around land, language, and nation-led learning. Teachers participated in hands-on sessions such as hide tanning, Indigenous language instruction, and land-based curriculum development. Educational assistants from partner communities also led sessions, offering valuable front-line perspectives.
Matthews shared the broader vision of the program.
“Our dream is to see First Nations students supported in their communities by community members or those students becoming teachers themselves," she said. "We want them to feel that community becomes home, that they have friends, family, peer connections, relational connections, that they feel a part of the community and less like a visitor.”
Charlotte Marten, an Elder with the program, emphasized the importance of language in cultural learning.
"One of the things I do is infuse the native language into the cultural activities we are doing.”
She shared a memorable moment from a session she led with six students from around the world, including the Bahamas, Kenya, India, and the Philippines.
“At first, I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do with the language programming,” she recalled. “But I had the word ‘land,’ and it was just perfect. That one word opened the door to so many conversations.”
Marten reflected on the power of that experience, saying they are talking about the global community.
“It opened up a lot of communication. The students shared what was important to them, and it also triggered memories from their own communities.”
Rachel Iserhoff, a teacher with roots in Fort Albany First Nation, spoke about the humility required to serve in a new context.
“A big part of it is going in as a learner. Not as an authoritarian who has all the answers, but recognizing that the students and community members have a lot to teach you. You can grow so much from that.”
For many, the cultural teachings were both deeply meaningful and practical.
Jake Robinson, who will teach in Woodland Cree territory in northern Alberta, described the hide tanning session as transformative.
“It’s fantastic learning by doing, processing a hide, making brainwater to condition it, and understanding the cultural significance behind each step.”
“The biggest takeaway has been how essential cooperation and collaboration are. Even though we had great guides, it’s clear these tasks and this work are meant to be done together," he said.
As Gakino'amaage celebrates a decade of partnership and growth, Matthews reflected on the journey.
“We’ve been sitting with, learning from, and reflecting on our partners for a decade. Every year brings more learning and more gratitude. We’re building on something deep and lasting.”
