Breanna Keating said Aboriginal Day, held at Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School in St. George’s on Wednesday, was an education in the Mi’kmaq culture.
The Grade 10 student of the attached Appalachia High School said her favourite part was playing the drums and helping younger kids with the activities.
While Breanna knew she was aboriginal all her life, she has learned more about her ancestry at her Mi’kmaq class, which takes place three times a week in her school. This has been ongoing the past two years.
Wednesday afternoon, Breanna had the honour of carrying the Mi’kmaq flag in the grand entry of the mini powwow the elementary school held at the Siki Bennett Memorial Arena in St. George’s.
The Mi’kmaq studies class planned the activities for the elementary school’s Aboriginal Day and carried them out. Activities included making bannock — a traditional fried bread — the seven teachings and colouring sheets, making tobacco ties to present to elders, smudging and a traditional medicine wheel made with rocks.
There were two visiting classes, a Grade 4 class from Stephenville Elementary and a Grade 1 class from Stephenville Primary taking part in the Aboriginal Day activities. Both teachers of these classes said the idea is to possibly hold the same type of event at their schools in the future.
