Ka-mah-mo-beyot Ikwezanzsuk (All Girls Sitting Together)

Philosophy

The Kamahmobeyot Ikwezanzsuk program is an all girls grade 9 program that strives to encompasses a dual foci. The high academic expectations mandated by the Department of Education and Training is critical to ensure that the young women can take full advantage of future education, work, or career options. The Medicine Wheel Philosophy adopted by Children of the Earth would allow the students to experience learning from a Aboriginal perspective enabling them to address and enhance culturally and holistically their emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual beings.

Program Rationale

• To enable Aboriginal young women to increase self-identity, self-esteem and to gain a positive self image through traditional cultural teachings and Aboriginal language instruction.
   
• To understand the role and responsibilities of Aboriginal women in the traditional education system and to bridge that knowledge with what is learned in the contemporary system.
   
• To address the gender imbalance which exists in the current educational system by providing a positive and productive learning environment for Aboriginal female students.
   
• To incorporate an Aboriginal perspective into all existing Manitoba Education and Training curricula areas, keeping within the existing vision of Children of the Earth High School.
   
• Young women ask and answer more questions when learning in a single sex classroom.
   
• Single sex classrooms allow students to work on creating a balance Medicine Wheel.
   
• The young women can focus more on academics – rather than on all of the other distractions that can occur in co-ed classrooms.
   
• Traditionally males and females were separated during this development time.
   
• Girls enjoy the freedom from opposite sex peer pressure that occurs in this style of classroom.
   
• Culturally young women have different roles to learn than the young men, so this affords these teachings.
   
• Teachers can direct teaching to common learning styles of women.
   
• Cultural advisor can focus integrating women’s teachings into teacher’s curriculum, rather than the large scope teachings that happen within coed classrooms.
   
• Students can discuss female sensitive issues with ease and confidence.
   
• The young women enjoy learning this way and feel more confident in themselves, and this is by far the most valuable reason why.

Instructors

Cara Widrick, Traditional Advisor

Cara has been with the girls program since August 1998 as the Traditional Advisor. Her role is to provide traditional teachings, women's teachings, officiate and plan ceremonies for the program. Cara provides traditional teachings and instruction within the academic curriculum where appropriate. She assists with the program development and various other duties which are supportive of the program.

Martha Troian, Teacher

Martha has been with the girls program since September 2005. She graduated from Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario in May 2005 with a Bachelor of Education. She earned an Honours degree in Political Science & History and a bachelor in Indigenous Learning. Prior to Children of the Earth, she has worked with diverse target groups in a variety of settings.

As a means of developing her knowledge, skills, and methods, Martha is dedicated to a continuous plan of professional development. She attends as many workshops and continues her academic journey through post-secondary courses.

Her interests are Indigenous issues, Community Development, Special Education, Law, the Performing Arts, and Volleyball.

Grade 9 Credit System

*Compulsory Core Subject Areas (6 credits)

Optional Subject Areas could include

Required: 9 credits

The Kamahmobeyot Ikwezanzsuk program is generously funded in partnership with the Department of Canadian Heritage, The Winnipeg School Division and the Give Girls a Chance Foundation.