KiHS brings science, tradition together

Students from KiHS (Keewaytinook Internet High School) recently took a break from computer-based learning to get an education on the land.
Seven students – from Fort Severn, Michikan Lake, Saugeen and Fort William First Nations – travelled to Fort Severn Oct. 2-8 to participate in the first ever KiHS Science Field Trip.
Kathleen Koostachin, classroom mentor for KiHS in Fort Severn, said the goal of the field trip was to bring traditional teachings together with modern science.
The students travelled 20 kilometres into the bush accompanied by a guide, an Elder and two KiHS mentors to learn traditional hands-on skills like fishing, caribou tracking and snaring rabbits.
They also learned modern science knowledge by identifying plants and dissecting animals to see what they were eating and to study their internal organ systems. The students dissected a moose, goose, rabbit, various fish and a seal.
“We taught the students to respect the land and respect the wildlife,” Koostachin said. “Each animal carcass was put away properly and respectively.”
After students identified plants for the science component of the trip, the Elder would show the students how that plant was used for traditional medicine as opposed to Western medicines.
Koostachin said a point was made to intertwine traditions with modern science.
Holding the field trip in Fort Severn also gave the students an opportunity to learn the difference between the tundra plant life and the boreal forest.
“The trip was awesome, everything went as planned. There was a moose and a goose for us to examine,” said participant Chad Bluecoat. “My favorite part of the trip was going fishing and examining the fish.”
Jacob Bluecoat, a KiHS student in Fort Severn, said his favorite part of the trip was sightseeing the land and identifying the plants.
“We kept seeing polar bears across the river when sightseeing the land, which was awesome,” he said.
Chad Bluecoat said the most important thing he learned when out on the land was how to survive and how to find your way in the bush without getting lost.
“We learned where the trails were and where to go fishing,” he said. “If there was another trip like this I would like to go.”
The planning process for the inaugural field trip started in May and the dates were set by September. Koostachin said she hopes another field trip will be available for the students next year, but the high costs of travel and fuel might be an issue.
“It gave the kids an opportunity to go out on the land and we would like to see more of that,” Koostachin said.
Koostachin added it’s important for students in KiHS to connect in person to the students in other communities and the field trip gave them this opportunity.
“It gave the students a chance to physically connect and to compare the similarities and differences between their own communities and cultures and how each community does things differently. It was awesome,” she said. “The students didn’t want to leave when the week was over.”