Elders & Knowledge Carriers In Schools Program

Indigenous education is rooted in culture, language, and history. It is a lifelong process that includes both formal and informal learning—inside classrooms, on the land, and in community. By including Elders and Knowledge Carriers, we honour and sustain these ways of knowing while supporting students to grow as healthy, creative, and compassionate members of their communities.

This work is vital in fostering reconciliation, breaking down stereotypes, and creating safe spaces for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to learn together. Elders and Knowledge Carriers offer first-hand perspectives that textbooks cannot provide, grounding learning in real-life stories, experiences, and community values.

By honouring Indigenous voices within our education system, we are helping to preserve languages, revitalize traditions, and strengthen cultural pride for generations to come. This program is not only about teaching the past—it is about shaping a future rooted in respect, understanding, and unity.

Our Elders and Knowledge Carries are respected community members who bring with them a wealth of cultural knowledge, life experience, and traditional teachings. Everyone has a unique background, offering students and educators valuable insights into Mi’kmaq history, traditions, and worldview.

They may be language speakers, storytellers, cultural practitioners, artisans, or land-based knowledge holders. Their role in our schools is to guide learning in a way that is respectful, inclusive, and connected to the land and community.

Through their presence, our Elders and Knowledge Carriers provide not only lessons and teachings but also serve as mentors, role models, and cultural anchors for students and staff.