Hundreds of students from schools across Manitoulin Island explore the joys of land-based learning at fall festival
M’CHIGEENG—The early fall air was remarkably quiet under the bright sun during the annual Kenjgewin Teg Fifth Annual Fall Harvest celebration held this past week at the M’Chigeeng powwow grounds, considering that students from most of the Island schools were on hand to take part in a wide range of land-based learning activities.
The reason for the quiet atmosphere quickly became evident upon observing that the hundreds of students in attendance were intently taking part in the many workshops on offer, listening with rapt attention to the presenters on wild foods, traditional First Nations’ games, art installation projects and did we mention food?
From the bounty of the forest, exemplified by dried fruits and vegetables on offer at a stand operated by Leo Bebonang and Emily Weber, delectable fried fish (more than 80 pounds over the day) and French fries cooked up by the UCCM Tribal Police Service, strawberry jams and pumpkin fudge, smoked fish made that very day by Ron Debassige, a wide range of teas prepared by Creator’s Garden author Joseph Pitawanakwat.
Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute executive director Stephanie Roy was wandering about the field with students and her staff taking in the proceedings and announced that she couldn’t be happier with the event. She passed on credit to the fall harvest organizers for the event’s success, however, “You should talk to Debbie,” she smiled.
“It is wonderful, isn’t it?” said fair organizer Debbie Debassige, who refused to accept credit for the success of the event. “There is no ‘I’ in team. There were a lot of people who put in a lot of effort and hard work to make this happen. Of course it doesn’t hurt that we have such great weather.”
The smiles of the students were brightly reflected in the faces of officials from the Rainbow District School Board who were also visiting the site. “This is just wonderful,” said RDSB chair Doreen Dewar, who was joined at the event by RDSB First Nation portfolio holder Lesliegh Dye and Director of Education Norm Blaseg. “Our students are learning so much here today and they are so obviously enjoying that learning experience.”
The recipes for many of the foods being served up at the fall harvest can be found at the Kenjgewin Teg website at www.ktei.net/annual-fall-harvest.html.
