The New Frontiers School Board and Lakehead University have each shared updates on their dedicated spaces for Indigenous culture and learning. NFSB has opened two new Cedar Rooms at its Howard S Billings High School and Chateauguay Valley Regional (CVR) High School. CVR Teacher and leader of the Cedar Room Isabelle Arsenault, who is Inuk, said that the space’s goal is “to provide academic and social emotional support to our Indigenous community and to educate and to provide cultural information to the whole school community.” The Cedar Room serves as a cultural centre where students can relax and have tea; it also hosts activities such as bannock making, beading, and outings for Indigenous students. Lakehead has received $1M from BMO to make its outdoor Indigenous learning space into a more accessible, indoor-outdoor space that can be used year-round. “It’s been transformative,” said Lakehead Vice Provost of Indigenous Initiatives Denise Baxter, who is a member of Marten Falls First Nation. “It’s a real honour to be working together to really think about what it means to have more spaces for cultural engagement, community connections, Indigenous education and land-based learning at the university.”
