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23TuesdayOctober82013EducationEnvironmentFortSmithstudentstakelearningintothebushByMARIACHURCHThegreatoutdoorswastheclassroomforstudentsatPaulWilliamKaeserPWKHighSchoolinFortSmithduringthefourthan-nualSweetgrasstriplastmonth.LivingforfourdayswiththebirdsbugsandevenbearsatSweetgrassSta-tioninWoodBuffaloNa-tionalParkGrades7and8studentsgotthemostliteralhands-onlearningduringatripcoordinatedasacollaborationbetweentheschoolgovernmentandFirstNations.ItsincrediblybenecialtotheclassroomasawholeMarnieVilleneuveteacheratPWKandtripcoordina-tortoldTheJournal.Ev-erybodyreallypullstogethertoputthison.Wecouldntdoitifoneofourpartnerspulledout.Studentsalongwithparentandteacherchaper-onescommunityeldersandParksCanadastaffbeganthetripbyboatheadingtoSweetgrassLanding.Fromtheretheyhiked13.7kmtocabinslocatedatSweet-grassStation.Overthefourdaysstu-dentsexperiencedlifeByMARIACHURCHAfterthreeyearsofcoop-erationbetweenFirstNationseldersandWesternscientiststoresearchAlbertaswet-landsleadscientistsofWater-TheSacredRelationshiparecondenttheyvetakenasteptowardsreconcilingAboriginalperspectivesandmodernscience.TheknowledgethatAb-originalpeoplehavecomesfromscience.ItcomesfromalongitudinalexperientialsubjectivesciencethatisbuiltintergenerationallyDr.PattiLaBoucane-BensononeoftheprojectleadstoldTheJournal.Wewantedtosaythatthisisavalidresearchmethod.Thosendingsareimportantandtheyareonepieceofthepuzzleinunder-standingwhatcanhappenwithwater.TheresearchprojectwasamassiveundertakingbytheNativeCounsellingServicesofAlbertaandAlbertaInno-vatesEnergyandEnviron-mentSolutionsAI-EES.Overthelastthreeyearstheteamof39researchScienceandAboriginalperspectivesuniteindocumentaryresearchpaperandcurriculumEducationEnvironmentparticipantscoveredmorethan10500kmtravellingaroundAlbertatointerviewtraditionalknowledgehold-erseldersandscientistscompiled150hoursofvideoandanalyzed300pagesofsingle-spacetranscriptions.DirectionfortheresearchwasbasedonthreequestionsWhatistherelationshipbe-tweenAlbertasAboriginalpeoplesandwaterwhatisthesciencebehindtheAborigi-nalviewpointonwaterandmostimportantlywhereisthecommongroundbetweenWesternscienceandAborigi-nalperspectivesLaBoucane-Bensonex-plainedthattheprojectsawworld-renownedwetlandscientiststeamupwithAb-originalknowledgekeeperstoventureintoawetlandtalkingaboutwhattheysawwhatwasimportantandhowtheyknowwhetherornotitsttodrink.WefoundcommongroundateveryturnLaBoucane-Bensonsaid.Itwasunani-mousfromtheelderstotheindigenousscientiststotheWesternscientiststhatwehavetoworktogether.Wehavecomplexproblemsre-gardingwaterandweneedeverybodysperspectives.Weneedbothsciencesnd-ingsometimesthesamere-sultsandsometimesuniqueresultstobringthesendingstogethertomobilizethem.LaBoucane-Bensonad-mittedthatthemajorityofWestern-trainedscientistswouldnotopenlyacknowl-edgethereisanindigenousscienceworthconsidering.ThisprojectshesaidtakesahugesteptowardsnotonlygivingmerittoAboriginalviewpointsbutsharingthatknowledgewiththepublic.Fromtheprojectcomesadocumentarylmapeer-reviewedresearchpaperandacurriculumdesignedforGrades5and6students.Thevoluntarycurriculumisavailablefordownloadfreeofchargeontheprojectswebsite.Lessonplansaredevelopedaround15shortvideosthatbreakdowntheresearchforstudents.ThegoalLaBoucane-Ben-sonsaidistointegrateanAboriginalworldviewintoclassroomsacrossAlbertathecountryandeventheworld.Thecurriculumreallyisourlegacyoftheprojectshesaid.Theideaiswewanttoinstillasenseofimportanceinchildrenaboutwetlandsandaboutourwater-whichIthinkourcurriculumal-readydoes-butwewanttoalsoexposethisAboriginalwayofknowingandsaytherearemanywaystodoscienceandtounderstandtheworldaroundus.Todatearound200teachersfromAlbertaandbeyondhavecontactedtheprojectteamtorequestthecurriculum.WaterissuchakeythingforAlbertaswellbeingnotjusteconomicallybutso-cially.Wateristhekey.IthinklearningatanearlyagetoacknowledgethatisreallyimportantJonSweetmanmanagerofwaterresourceswithAI-EESexplained.Sweetmannotedthatalast-ingresultoftheprojectwastherelationshipsbuiltbetweentraditionalknowledgekeeperseldersandscientists.Wevehadinterestinincor-poratingtraditionalknowledgeorinformationthatAborigi-nalpeoplecanbringtowaterbuttobringthatknowledgeinvolvesbuildingarelation-shipwiththepeoplehesaid.IwouldliketoseefurtherengagementanddiscussionaroundAboriginalknowledgeandrecognitionthatthatinfor-mationisvaluable.TolearnmoreaboutWater-TheSacredRelationshipandthecurriculumgoonlinetosacredrelationship.ca.withoutdailyluxuriesnoiPodscomputersorcell-phones.Insteadtheywereimmersedinnaturecom-pletewithpicturesquescen-eryandwildlife.Oneofthelessonsstressedduringthetripwasenviron-mentalawarenessVilleneuvesaid.Theselessonswhiletheycanbetaughtbythebookarefarmoreeffectiveexperienced.Itreallyputsitinper-spectivewhenyoucanshowthesekidsthisgreatbigbeautifulplainwherethebisonareandtalkabouttheamountofgarbageandtheresidualeffectthatwehaveifwedontpayattention.Itsourjobtotakecareofthelandandmakesuretheirkidsandtheirkidscanhavetheseincrediblelifeexperi-encesshesaid.WiththetripplannedsoearlyintheschoolyearVilleneuvesaiditgivesstu-dentsandteachersamuch-neededopportunitytogettoknowoneanotheronapersonallevel.Bytakingthemoutinthebushandlivingwiththemforfourdaysitsextremelyrewarding.Yougettoknowthesekidsandyoubondinawayyoudontgettoinaclassroomshesaid.Villeneuvesaidoneofthebestexperiencesforherwaswatchingthestudentshud-dledclosearoundthecamp-reundertheblazingstarssinginginunison.Someofourchildrenhavethemostamazingvoicesshesaid.Theboyswererappingandtheydidthisve-minutesongandtheynevermissedabeatandthegirlssanglikeangels.Itbroughtalotofusoutofourshells.Whilecampedoutstu-dentsthisyearhadasur-prisevisitinthenightfromacuriousbear.ThoughVil-leneuvesaiditwassome-whatnervewrackingforhersafetywastheirnum-beronepriorityandthesu-pervisorsweremorethancapableofkeepingstu-dentssafe.ThisyeartheSweetgrasstripwaspushedbackaweekinanattempttoavoidsea-sonalbugswhichplaguedtrip-goerslastyearbutwhatorganizerswerentexpect-ingwastheconictwithhuntingseason.Withmanylong-timetripsupportersinthecommu-nityunavailableorganizersstruggledtofindvolunteerstodriveboatsofstudentstoSweetgrassLanding.Wetalkedtoover30peoplebutthisisahuntingcommunityandwerespectthat.WejuststruggledwithfindingtransportationVilleneuvesaid.ButwithSweetgrassquicklybecomingacul-turalstapleforstudentsinthecommunitytheideaofcancelingwasunimaginable.IntheendParksCanadawasabletobringabargefromFortChipewyantoshuttlestudentsupanddowntheriverwiththehelpofjetboatsfromEnvironmentandNaturalResources.ForVilleneuveandtheotherorganizersmakingtheSweetgrasstriphappennomattertheobstacleswasworthittoseestudentslearn-ingontheland.Wecantalkaboutitandwecanreadaboutitandthereisvalueinthattoobutwhenyouareactuallyouttheredoingititchangesyourbrainshesaid.PhotoscourtesyofPWKStudentsbondduringtheirfourdaysatSweetgrassStation.Studentshelpeachotherwhilecanoing.PhotoNativeCounsellingServicesofAlbertaVioletPoitrasanelderfromPaulFirstNationgazesoverawetlandduringresearchforWater-TheSacredRelationshipdocumentaryresearchpaperandcurriculum.