New Sioux Valley, Brandon School Division partnership gives students chance to build skills, share culture

Junior high students from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in western Manitoba will learn a series of life skills this school year thanks to a new partnership with Brandon School Division — which administrators hope will also lead to a sharing of culture for students.

More than 40 Sioux Valley Grade 7 and 8 students will attend a school in the division for a half-day of classes once every six-day school cycle. Those classes will cover industrial arts and home economics, and involve practical life skills like cooking and sewing.

"It's just giving them more opportunities, more skills that right now in Sioux Valley we can't do for our students," Sioux Valley Chief Jennifer Bone said on Thursday, which was the first day students from the First Nation were at Brandon's Earl Oxford school. 

"We've opened a lot of doors, I think, for them."

Bone said her community first started exploring opportunities for students back in 2010. 

The school division wasn't able to accommodate the Sioux Valley students at the time, but found room to try out a few classes this year, she said. 

"When you work in partnership with people, that's beneficial, I believe, for everyone," said Brandon School Division vice-chair Sherilyn Bambridge. "We are hoping that this partnership can grow."

Bambridge said the division was looking for ways to develop more relationships with Sioux Valley, and hopes the community may one day offer programs and classes to Brandon School Division students. 

"We have a rich history of Dakota culture and language," said Bone. "Those are our strengths in the school system." 

"I think that Sioux Valley has some things that they could offer to the students of Brandon," Bambridge said. "We can learn culture, we can develop an understanding, we can see growth." 

Bambridge said the Brandon School Division would look at possibly offering some vocational classes to Sioux Valley high school students in the future. 

Some of the projects students will take on over the school year include learning to sew cushions, making various meals, and even crafting their own cellphone cases in the school's industrial arts shop.

Bone said it's those type of life skills that she hopes not only help prepare students for life, but also inspire them.

"I think it will improve their life skills overall," said Bone.

In addition, there are the benefits, she said, in "building relationships in a new school, making new friends, meeting new people — helping them grow as people and realizing and experiencing another whole … school setting, which they wouldn't have if this partnership wasn't there."

Both Bone and Bambridge called the partnership an important part of the reconciliation process.

"If you're together and you're developing friendships and you're developing bonds, you're reconciling — and that is huge," said Bambridge.