Three postsecondary schools recently partnered with Indigenous organizations and communities to offer summer camps on their campuses. Nova Scotia Community College’s Nautical Institute and Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey partnered to offer a youth marine camp. Participants took part in marine training and traditional Mi’kmaq practices and activities and earned Transport Canada MED DVS certificates. The University of Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic Veterinary School, with support from VCA Canada and Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey in Nova Scotia, is piloting an Indigenous Vet Camp this week. Forty Indigenous junior and high school students will participate in various activities such as equine physical examinations and wildlife conservation sessions. Student feedback will be used to shape the foundation of a new Indigenous vet camp program starting in 2025. The University of Regina partnered with File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council to create a coaching and performance camp for First Nations athletes and coaches. The three-day event covered topics such as mental performance, nutrition, and strength and conditioning. “A lot of the time, sport is kind of like that gateway into higher education,” said camp organizer Jordynn Pewapsconias.
