Staff prepare for return to school

Kahnawake Education Center (KEC) staff took a turn in the student seat as part of their back to school preparations, taking part in a series of workshops focused on understanding more about cultural teachings as well as what it’s like to be a learner.

“It’s really about re-grounding and centering ourselves, and really putting all of our focus on Tsi Niionkwarihò:ten (our ways) this year, and getting back to our roots,” said KEC director of education Falen Iakowennaiéwas Jacobs. “We want to provide our staff with the resources and trainings for them to feel comfortable bringing that into our classrooms for students.”

This year, Jacobs’ first as the solo lead of KEC, the team wanted to do things a bit differently.

“Usually we have a PowerPoint, but I said instead, let’s have this big KEC social,” she said. “It was so uplifting, and in our ways we celebrate through socials, and I really wanted to start off the year with that uplifting energy and positivity.”

The social was led by singers within the KEC staff, including Jacobs herself.

“It was amazing energy, we were getting staff up and they were dancing, having fun, and laughing, it was a way for our staff to see a little bit of Tsi Niionkwarihò:ten in practice,” she said. “It could’ve been an hour giving a presentation and talking about it, but what better way to really embrace it than to practice it?”

Jacobs said it’s important for all KEC staff to understand just how important Tsi Niionkwarihò:ten is for young learners in the community, even if the staff themselves aren’t from Kahnawake, or if they don’t engage much with traditional practices.

“The message I wanted to send is that we have to step out of our comfort zone, it’s a collective, we’re all working together and everybody in the organization has an important part to play in helping us to move our vision forward,” she said. “It’s all about the students and preparing them, making sure that they’re grounded in our ways as Kanien’kehá:ka people who have opportunities to have exposure to that, and have a solid understanding and pride in who we are.”

It was also an opportunity to update staff about hiring changes ahead of the school year - Matthey McCarney is joining the KEC team as a senior education advisor, and Timothy Kamino, who will be joining as a leadership coach based at Kateri School.

There was also a last-minute resignation of Kevin Gault, who was the principal of Kateri School. Jacobs said he resigned to pursue other opportunities, and that the team will be hiring a new principal in the coming weeks.

“In the interim, myself as director and our associate director have been over there providing support and helping get the year started in a good way,” Jacobs said. “Hopefully we’ll have someone in there as a replacement soon and they’ll have continued support to develop their capacity and really find their footing in the new role.”

KEC administration brought in facilitators from the community and beyond to lead workshops on a variety of cultural activities, including workshops on traditional ash basket making, lacrosse teachings, land and nature inspired raised beadwork, fire making and outdoor skills, fishing, medicinal plant teachings, and paddling with a focus on connections to waterways.

It was an opportunity not only to learn more about aspects of Kanien’kehá:ka culture that staff might be unfamiliar with, but also to remember what it’s like to be a student.

“If you’ve never made a basket before and you’re following the instructions from the instructor, you’re back in that student seat.

“Some of the feedback people were saying was ‘Wow, we felt frustrated, we didn’t know what to do, and then we pushed through and the teacher supported us, and it just made me feel like a student,’” Jacobs said.

“They got the perspectives of our students and how they might encounter some struggles when we’re introducing new concepts to them.”

Orientation for KEC schools started this week, with a full return to school next week.

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