In an act of community sharing and co-operation that epitomizes the Thanksgiving Day holiday tradition, Huffman School hosted a feast last Friday that taught students about togetherness and friendship.
Huffman staff, students, and parents held the event in partnership with representatives of the Town of Fort Frances, Couchiching First Nation, and Seven Generations Education Institute in an effort to communicate sharing and co-operation within the community at large.
“It was wonderful,” said Huffman principal Diane Thompson. “The feast was to foster that sense of community beyond the walls of the school.
“It’s really what Thanksgiving and fall harvest is all about,” she added, referring to the two autumn activities practised by the two groups—First Nations descendants and those from a European background.
“Everybody had a part to play,” noted Thompson.
She explained representatives from Seven Generations popped wild rice and that Couchiching First Nation provided the bannock.
“It’s the first time many of our children, and staff for that matter, have tried popped wild rice,” said Thompson. “[And] everybody had bannock until their hearts were content.
She added students and parents were encouraged to bring fruits, vegetables, and cheese to complete the feast. “Every family contributed something to the feast,” she noted.
“I was overwhelmed by the activity,” Thompson added, explaining this was her first feast as she became the new principal at Huffman this fall. “It was well-prepared. It seemed to flow so smoothly.
“Overall, it was a real sense of family and community to make things happen,” she remarked. “I was impressed by the miraculous bonds it seemed to create.”
The activity was rounded out by a talk from Fort Frances Museum curator Pam Hawley on the historic relationship between First Nations and Europeans in this area.
“She presented sort of the historical partnerships that were developed around trade,” Thompson said of Hawley’s presentation.
Elder Bessie Mainville also spoke to the students (Huffman has a large number of First Nations students).
“Bessie spoke to the group and gave a prayer,” said Thompson. “She spoke about working together.”
Students had decorated the gymnasium to be more festive for the feast. Those in JK and SK made turkey’s out of apples, with toothpicks out their “backs” holding coloured soft candies.
As well, all students made paper-feather necklaces and coloured them bright fall colours.
“They wrote four things they were thankful for on the back,” noted Thompson. “The overwhelming message was they were thankful for their families.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
