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ArtsCultureBooksEducationTraditionalKnowledge15TuesdayOctober292013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGInstructorsandstudentsattheAthabascaDeltaCom-munitySchoolADCSinFortChipewyanrecentlysaidgoodbyetooneofthekeycontributorstoitsburgeoningculturalstudiescurriculum.ElderLouisLadouceurwhopassedawayearlierthismonthfromabriefbattlewithcancerwasinstrumentalinbringingtraditionalknowledgeintotheschoolandthestudentsoutontothelandaccordingtoADCSprincipalMichaelFlieger.Louiswasverypassionateaboutteachingstudentsaboutlocalcultureandculturallanduse.Hemadehimselfavail-abletouswheneverweaskedwhetheritwastoshowthechildrenhowtocleanashorjusttohaveaconversa-tionortellstudentshistalesoftrappingandlivingoffthelandFliegersaid.LadouceurworkedwiththestaffandstudentsofADCSoverthepastyearastheschooldevelopeditsnewapproachtoexperientialandculturallearn-ingworkingcloselywiththeOilSandsLeadershipInitiativeOSLIandtheExperientialLearningWorkingGrouptoinstructteachersonincorpo-ratingtraditionalknowledgeintotheclassroom.ThroughmyparticipationwithOSLIIhadtheabilitytotravelwithLouistomeet-ingsandothertrainingandIcansaythatwhereverwetraveledLouiswasregardedasawisemanonewithgreatintegrityandpassionFliegersaid.MostrecentlyLouisandItraveledwithagrouptotheYukonwhereLouiswascelebratedforhisban-nockmakingskills.FliegersaidLadouceurhadanaturalabilitytoworkwithothersandthoughhewasnotateacherbytrain-ingwasgiftednonetheless.SharonShadowtheFirstNationsculturalinclusioncon-sultantwiththeYukondepart-mentofEducationexpressedherappreciationofLadouceuruponhearingofhispassing.ItwassuchapleasuretomeetLouis.IrememberhisstoryoffallingthroughtheiceandhiswilltosurvivetoreturntohisfamilyShadowwroteinanemail.ItisThanksgiv-ingandthiswasthetimetheCreatorchoseforhimsowedogivethanksforhislifeandforhisteachingsandfriendship.Althoughtheywerehereforashorttimeitfeltliketheywerealwaysapartofourbeing.ThestudentsandstaffatADCSplantopreserveLadou-ceursmemoryinaspacebeingdevelopedattheschoolwhereeldersfromthecommunitywillbehonouredthroughphoto-graphsandwordsofwisdom.FortChipschoolsaysgoodbyetoLadouceurCOLINANTONYMARIEFeb.61961-Oct.152013TheMariefamilyareextremelygratefultoeveryonewhosentcardsfoodandexpressedkindwordsofcondolencesandcomfort.Specialthank-youtothedoctorsandnursesofFSHCSRFNMtisAssociationGNWTPublicWorksMercurySignsandallthosewhojoinedusinColinsfarewell.LovethepeopleGodgaveyoubecauseHeisgoingtoneedthembacksomeday.THEMARIEFAMILYByMARIACHURCHArtworkbystudentsinFortChipewyanhasbeenpublishedinachildrensbookwrittenaboutthecom-munitybycelebratedauthorRichardVanCampandil-lustratorGeorgeLittlechild.TitledOurstorieshelptheNorthernLightsDancethebookisaboutthecom-munitysconnectiontotheNorthernLightsthroughnicknames.Thestoryhon-oursthreecommunityel-dersfromFortChipandFortMcKayCharlieVoyageurElizabethLacordeandFredJumboFraser.VanCamporiginallyfromFortSmithandLittlechildfromComoxBCmadethetriptoFortChipinMaytomeetwitheldersandstu-dentsandgeneratecontentforthebook.IwasbornandraisedinFortSmithandIvebeencollectingstoriesfromel-dersforthepast20yearssothiswasmychanceto-nallysitdownandlistenandlearnfromtheeldersofFortMcKayandFortChipewyanVanCamptoldTheJournalinanemail.MichaelFliegerprincipalofAthabascaDeltaCommu-nitySchoolADCSsaidthebookistheresultofaFortChipstudentartworkpublishedinchildrensbookcommunityengagementproj-ectwithImperialOilwhichfundedtheentireprocess.StudentsatADCSwereoriginallyaskedbyprojectorganizerstoprovideonlyinspirationforthebooksartworkbutthepublishedversionactuallyincludessomeofthedrawingscreatedbythestudentsFliegersaid.Someofthestudentartdidmakeitintothebookaspartofthebackgroundhesaid.Theywereproudtoseethebookandprettymuchoverwhelmed.Itsaprofes-sionalbooksotheywereprettyimpressed.PhotosMichaelFliegerAcopyofthepublishedbookalongwithGeorgeLittlechildselderportraitswillbekeptatADCS.ImperialOilsponsoredabooklaunchattheschoollastweekthatincludedadinnerforstudentsandcommunitymembers-a9000affairFliegerdisclosed.Hesaidwhileoilcompa-niesfrequentlysupporttheschoolinotherwaysitsuncommonforthemtoin-volvestudentsinaprojectofthissize.Itsveryraretheyworkalongsideuslikethishesaid.Itwastheirideaanditwasntpushedonus.TheysaidHeysomeonecameupwithanideawouldyouliketoparticipateandwesaidsure.ThebooklaunchdoubledasADCSmonthlyliteracyeventpartofaschool-wideinitiativefocusedonin-creasingstudentliteracyoftenthroughaccesstobooks.ImperialOilpresentedtheschoolwithmorethan370copiesofthepublishedbookaswellasframedcop-iesofthestudentsartworkandLittlechildsportraitsofthethreeelders.AcopyofthebookwillbekeptattheFortChipewyanBicentennialMuseumwhiletheremainingcopieswillbedistributedthroughoutthecommunity.PhotoIreneFlettRedwoodYouthwatchaselderLouisLadouceurletsash.