collaborative group,” Nazeravich says, “it was born from the idea that what we’re here to do isn’t just environmental education, but it’s land-based education.” The centre has transformed degraded farmland into thriving ecosystems, including 37 acres of restored grassland and a one-acre wetland. Cultural landmarks like a medicine wheel garden with benches representing the seven sacred teachings and a sweat lodge create spaces for traditional practices. “It’s rooted in Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous teachings, Indigenous ways of life,” Nazeravich emphasizes. Students visit multiple times yearly for full-day programs that weave land-based learning across subjects. “The intention is that they [the teachers] start to embed that philosophy in their classrooms,” Nazeravich explains, noting how experiences at Aki inspire teachers to continue land-based education back at school and beyond. “It’s supposed to sort of ignite their confidence and their understanding of the philosophy and the practices.” Assistant Superintendent of Indigenous Excellence in Education, Sherri Denysuik, adds “we had a pipe ceremony before they even broke ground,” sharing the center’s profound origins. This ceremonial foundation preceded the elders’ gifting of the centre’s Ojibwe name. “From there, these are the seeds that grew. The Aki Centre really is a symbol of land back in that there was the reclamation of the land, the restoration of the land, the resilience of the land, and now we’re on the face of the resurgence of the land,” says Denysuik, explaining the ongoing transformation as both physical and cultural. 5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 06 SEVEN OAKS SCHOOL DIVISION
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx