A collaborative sustainability project started in the autumn with students from both the Sweetgrass Circle and the Environment Club at KCVI. The project required a lot of new skills to be mastered on donated sewing machines. Lessons on how to thread a machine, fill bobbins, make seams and thread drawstrings, resulted in beautifully lined feast bundle bags. Staff facilitators Joanne Whitfield, Matt Saunders and Bonnie Beals, supported students to navigate the creative process.

Personal Indigenous feast bundles are used in any setting to reduce landfill items of single use plastics like plastic cutlery and waste from disposable plates and serviettes. The bags were filled with previously enjoyed plates, bowls, cutlery, napkins assembled from donations and local thrift shops. The feast bundles were gifted to 30 grade 11 First Nations, Métis and Inuit Contemporary Voices English class teachers in April in order to encourage them to engage in an Indigenous sustainable practice to look after Mother Earth and to commit to having them with them to use on professional development days. This month, all the English teachers had them with them and there was a zero waste lunch. Indigenous knowledge, new skills, recycling and reusing, all driven by student energy and a desire to affect change - in a feast bundle.

Colin Wesley is a grade 11 student at The River, which is an Indigenous program that is offered at the Katarokwi Learning Centre in the Limestone District School Board. The photo embedded to the left captures Colin meeting hip hop artist Cody Coyote (Anishinaabe/Irish) at the Indigenous Student Leadership Day in May. Here is what he had to say in an interview in April.

What would you like to share about your family?

My home community is Kashechewan, Ontario and I have been in Kingston for four years. I came to Kingston with my mum, who is here for dialysis. I have a brother too, he attends at Rideau Heights Public School. I’m really worried about my granddad and grandmum because they are about to be evacuated from their home because we flood every year. They have their date for the evacuation.

What are some of your best experiences in The River?

I really like my teachers and friends here. We built a birch bark canoe class in October. I got to sew with the roots which was really hard to do, but I managed it. I am really grateful for the learning I did with Wayne, Linda and Alphonso on that canoe build project. They were the experts. I like learning and working with my hands and I’m good at that.

I also did my first sweatlodge at The River when we went to Mr. Lovelace’s land at Eel Lake. It was a really good experience to have other people listening to me. This was my first time being in a sweatlodge. I didn’t do this at home.

What was a personal highlight for you as a student at Katarokwi Learning Centre?

I wasn’t really comfortable speaking out - I am very quiet. Now that I’ve been in The River program, I can speak in front of 20 students. When I first came here, I couldn’t do that. I am confident to say what I think now. Two weeks ago, students in The River taught a big group of teachers about smudging. I was able to teach them that we smudge our eyes to see good things, our ears to hear good things and our mouth to say only good things. I felt really proud after I explained this to teachers. Another student, told them all that there is no wrong way to smudge. I also liked the sugar bush field trip. I learned a lot about it and I really liked tasting the sugar water.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to play video games, especially Rainbow 6 Siege. I play a lot on weekends. My brother plays with me sometimes. I spend my time outdoors when I’m in Kashechewan but in Kingston, I spend all my time indoors.

What do you think is the path to Reconcilliation?

I think non-Indigenous people need to learn more about First Nations in Canada. I meet a lot of people when I’m online gaming and they often don’t know about First Nations or what that means. I think if Elders and knowledge keepers come into classrooms more kids and teachers will learn a lot more about traditional teachings.

What are your goals? Where do you see yourself in the future?

I want to go to First Nations Technical Institute for pilot training and will need really good grades to attend the program. They want good English and math marks for the pilot program. I’d like to go home to be a bush pilot to help out my family so they can get their gear to their hunting camp. I could land a floatplane where they camp. Another option I have is joining the military.