Activities Indigenous Experiences

The Indigenous Traditional Room is a welcoming place for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to gather. It features local Indigenous artwork, ceremonial drums, blankets, and sacred medicines. There is also teachings by the in-house Elder and Land-Based Navigator.

Embark on a journey with the Indigenous peoples of the western plains of Canada and share in their wisdom conveyed by the stars.

This Teaching Space is located in The Nature Exchange Gallery as a place where Indigenous knowledge is woven with Western science. It features an interactive dreamcatcher created for the space by Ellie Lagrandeur, a local Ojibwe artist. While visiting, take a seat, relax, and grab a book from the Indigenous library to explore the universe, the land we steward, and life.

"amiskwacîwâskahikan" means beaver hills house, the Cree name used to describe Edmonton and surrounding areas. The beaver also represents one of the 7 Sacred Grandfather Teachings, Wisdom. In this image we see the wisdom and science of our traditional land-based learning, with the elders teaching us the stories and wisdom of the stars and the natural science of Mother Earth.

In collaboration with the Canadian Light Source, a research facility at the University of Saskatchewan we will be talking about bison. Bernie Petit, the Education Professional for Indigenous programs will walk us through the historical importance of bison and how postsecondary students are gathering samples.

Students will learn about some plants commonly found in Alberta and their multitude of uses, including in traditional medicines. Students will then participate in activities, including a scavenger hunt to find medicinal plants in their neighbourhoods.

What do you see when looking up the stars? Are there stories that you have heard in school, from family, or in movies? In this video we are going to look at the nighttime sky and discuss some stories from Indigenous groups across Turtle Island.

Smudging is a cultural ceremony practiced by a wide variety of Indigenous people in Canada and other parts of the world. Smudging is the practice of burning various medicinal plants to cleanse ourselves and connect us with our spirit and with the Creator.

In Indigenous cultures, we have our belief system*, value system*, and principal system*. Our cultural practices are our way of expressing those values, principals, and protecting them.

Manager, Indigenous Initiatives