Cultural awareness the lesson of the day

Nbisiing Secondary School students demonstrate the power of the drum Thursday at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Catholic Secondary School.

St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Catholic Secondary School students had a special lesson Thursday during an Aboriginal Cultural Awareness workshop in the Bishop Carter Auditorium.

OPP Sgt. George Couchie, a member of Nipissing First Nation, talked with students and staff about aboriginal medicine and the spirit and meaning connected to First Nations symbolism.

“Aboriginals have the highest rate of diabetes, Aboriginals have the highest rate of HIV/AIDS … and Aboriginals have the highest rate of suicide in the whole world,” were just a few of the startling statistics Couchie listed as he began his to talk with the students.

“But I didn’t come to speak about the negatives I came to speak about the positives of being Aboriginal.”

Couchie explained the circle of life and how the circle has related to the Aboriginal culture for centuries and can relate to anyone’s life. He tells the kids that the centre of the circle represents the most important person … himself or herself. He also said the wheel has four directions and can push and pull one through the course of their lives.

“I played hockey at Chippewa when I was in high school and I wanted to play in the NHL, and the coach came to me one day and said ‘Cooch’ you’re the worst player on the team.”

“That was a directional change, so I learned from that experience and went to college and became a cop.”

He moved on to talk about the importance of traditional medicines like sweet grass, sage, tobacco and cedar and he also touched on how some animals relate to the teachings and their significance.

“Sweet grass is the hair of Mother Earth,” he says noting that it is braided and that the three sections of a braid represent the mind, body and spirit.

“Tobacco is the only medicine that if you don’t use it the way it was meant it fights back.”

“The Eagle flies closest to the creator – you receive an eagle’s feather when you have done something good for the community.”

Music also plays a huge role in the culture and drumming groups from both Our Lady of Sorrows School and Nbisiing Secondary School gave vibrant performances to demonstrate just why that is.

“The drum is the heartbeat of Mother Earth,” he notes.

Couchie and a number of co-workers run 20 awareness workshops a year at the Ecology Centre for fellow officers from across Canada but says that there is not a lot covered about Aboriginal culture in the school curriculum.

“I guess it is slowly starting to change.”

He also notes that the school presentations work both ways.

"It is good for these students (Nbisiing) to be proud of who they are."