Beaming with pride, 35 Turner Valley School students shared their unique family histories with peers from Eden Valley last week.
The Grade 5 students hosted a cultural fair in their school gymnasium after digging into their family histories and showcasing their findings to Grades 5-7 Chief Jacob Bearspaw School students on April 3.
“It’s about building bridges,” said Cindy ten Broek, a Grade 5 teacher at Turner Valley School. “They’re our neighbours and we know very little about them.”
The students decorated trifold boards with flags, maps, old photographs, statistics, coats of arms and stories of their family history.
“Each student dug up their family history, old stories and when their family first came to Canada,” ten Broek said. “There are families from all over the world. Some had great grandparents in concentration camps in Poland.”
Ten Broek said students were encouraged to share their traditions, including a sample of food, that’s been passed down from generation to generation.
“A lot of them didn’t know a lot about their family history so as they delved deeper they were really interested to learn about where they came from,” she said.
Owen Varela delved into the history of his parents, learning his mom originates from Scotland and Ireland and his dad from Mexico and Spain. His display included Mexican candy, homemade salsa and Mexican artifacts like handmade baskets.
“I was really surprised by all of the places that I’m from,” said Varela. “I’m telling people about my history. I’m proud to show it.”
While Chinook Ashbacher also shared her origins, which trace back to Japan and Poland, it was her stories that captivated Chief Jacob Bearspaw School students.
Ashbacher told a story of her ancestor, John Henry Foster, who, while making his way through Saskatchewan after immigrating from England, took refuge in a coyote den the first night to stay out of the rain. When he heard growling, he called for help and was rescued by First Nations people.
“He never turned down First Nations people from his door and neither has anybody from the family,” explained Ashbacher. “I have lots of interesting stories but I wasn’t able to fit them all on the trifold.”
Tila Lefthand, a Chief Jacob Bearspaw School Grade 5 student, said she found Ashbacher’s story and the displays interesting.
“It’s my first time at another school,” she said. “It’s really fun and I got to meet new kids. I got to meet someone from a different community.”
Trinity Kootenay, also in Grade 5, enjoyed learning about the history of Turner Valley School students, particularly a potato dance at one of the displays.
Jean Whitehouse, Chief Jacob Bearspaw Grade 5 teacher, said it’s important to build bridges with neighbouring schools.
“We are trying to build friendships and make them build relationships so they are comfortable interacting with one another,” she said.
Parents and grandparents also attended last week’s cultural fair.
“This is an excellent opportunity for the children to really learn about who they are,” said Sandra Pearson, a grandmother of a Turner Valley School student. “It’s not something we investigate too much.
“They are all so informed about where they are from and they are very proud. It’s just a wonderful initiative by the school.”
Turner Valley School students will partner with their Chief Jacob Bearspaw School peers next month to conduct a water study on the Highwood River to determine the impact of logging on the river system.
The students then go to the Eden Valley school on June 4 for its culture day, which will include a powwow.
The Eden Valley youngsters experienced a cultural fair at Westmount School in Okotoks last year.
