Fort Richmond Collegiate Celebrates the Opening of The Meeting Place

Last school year, teachers at Fort Richmond Collegiate applied for and received the Teacher Idea Fund to nourish Indigenous mental health at Fort Richmond Collegiate by offering diverse experiences in a consistent space throughout the school year. This past Friday, we were able to celebrate the opening of the space, The Meeting Place. 

The Meeting Place features a set of hand drums, a powwow drum, immense art supplies for beading and painting, a collection of books written by Indigenous authors, medicines and materials for smudging, an indoor gardening system and flexible, inviting seating. 

Each day of the week will feature different types of programming at lunch, including Indigenous language instruction on Mondays, artwork on Tuesdays, Indigenous Circle with food from Feast Café on Wednesdays, drumming and ceremonial singing instruction on Thursdays, and various workshops on Fridays. 

Specific experiences to take place this year in The Meeting Place include Elder visits, workshops and the creation of murals with artists Jackie Traverse and Justine Proulx, ribbon skirt and rattle-making workshops, soapstone carving, and visits from guests including David Robertson, Four Sacred Hearts, Michael Redhead Champagne. 

Fort Richmond Collegiate is looking forward to offering this programming and can’t wait to see how the space grows throughout the school year!