Fisher River Cree Nation Prioritizes Land-Based Learning to Boost Student Well-Being
AI-generated image · Bay Street Wire
A Manitoba First Nation is integrating traditional hunting and cultural practices into its school curriculum to improve student behavior and mental health.
Students at Fisher River High School are earning academic credits through a land-based education program that emphasizes spiritual, emotional, and cultural health over traditional letter grades, according to CBC News.
As part of the initiative, eight Grade 11 and 12 students recently traveled nearly 400 kilometers to Moose Mountain Provincial Park in Saskatchewan for a five-day hunting trip. The group, assisted by local outfitter and program assistant Ashton Amos, harvested four bull moose, bringing back over 500 kilograms of meat to share with the community. Student Aidan Traverse, 18, noted that the outdoor experience helps him manage anxiety he feels while in the classroom.
While outdoor teaching has existed in the community for years, a 2024 band council resolution officially prioritized land-based learning across the local elementary and high school systems. Nora Murdock, Fisher River Cree Nation's director of education, stated that the program helps students build their identity and a connection to their history as Cree people. Under the resolution, elders and knowledge keepers must visit classrooms at least three times per month, and lessons now incorporate the Cree language and First Nations ceremonies.
Beyond hunting, the curriculum covers shelter building, medicine picking, fishing, and firearms safety. Murdock told CBC News that taking students out on the land has a calming effect on those struggling with behavioral issues, providing them with a new perspective on life and others. Elder Stan McKay added that the program teaches students how to ethically harvest and prepare wild game, as well as the importance of sharing the harvest.