In an exciting new initiative, Minecraft Education supports land-based learning in Bloodvein First Nation, focusing on the UNESCO World Heritage site Pimachiowin Aki. A session on this project will be featured at MFNERC’s Circle of Knowledge and Practices conference in October 2024.

Spearheaded by Bloodvein’s Miskooseepi School in partnership with Logics Academy, the development of this custom Minecraft map offers a unique blend of digital innovation and traditional teachings. This col­laboration has produced a dynamic educational tool that immerses students in their land’s rich cultural and environmental heritage. The Minecraft game involves a three-dimensional world where players use blocks of different materials to build a wide range of items and structures.

Phase one of the project introduces students to core land-based activities, including moose hunting, trap­ping, tracking, and ice fishing—all while navigating through the wilderness on a dog sled. The Minecraft world reflects both the knowledge of local Elders and the landscapes of Bloodvein, allowing students to ex­plore their community and surroundings virtually.

More than a game, this map is a vehicle for deepen­ing connections to the land and fostering a sense of stewardship and identity. The activities are designed to teach valuable survival skills and impart the knowledge passed down through generations, all within a safe, interactive environment that engages students in a modern way.

Central to the development of this map is the invaluable input from Elders and Knowledge Keepers in Blood­vein First Nation. Their deep knowledge of traditions, cultural practices, and historical information forms the foundation of the content presented in the game. These Elders guided the project to ensure cultural teachings are accurate and respectful, offering students an au­thentic learning experience. Their wisdom has helped to preserve traditional ways of knowing and brought them into a new, digital format, which can be shared with students across Canada who have few opportuni­ties to visit remote sites in Manitoba.

This project is just beginning. Future phases of the map are already in development, with plans to include representations of different seasons, wildlife, and plant life, and expanded lessons on topics such as treaty education and truth and reconciliation. The map will evolve into a comprehensive tool for teaching Indige­nous history, culture, and environmental stewardship, ensuring students can access various educational expe­riences.

A version of the map that features teacher and stu­dent guides will soon be downloadable. These guides will offer curriculum connections for every province, making it a versatile resource for educators nationwide. Additionally, a “creative mode” version of the map will be available for download, allowing teachers to use the unique assets and environments specifically developed for this project—assets not available in the standard edition of Minecraft Education. This version empowers teachers to extend learning beyond the preset lessons and apply the tools in various classroom contexts, fos­tering creativity and exploration.

The partnership with Logics Academy has been instru­mental in bringing this vision to life. Their technical expertise helped craft the digital environment, but Bloodvein First Nation’s knowledge and passion drove the project. As new elements are added, the map will continue to be shaped by the community, ensuring that it reflects their experiences and values.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to William Young (stew­ard of Pimachiowin Aki and Knowledge Keeper), the Elders of Bloodvein First Nation, Irene Rupp (princi­pal of Miskooseepi School), Jimmy Moar (finance and technology), and Jarrel Cook (technology) for their support and contributions. Thanks to their dedication, this map will be available for free to all educational in­stitutions across Canada, ensuring that students every­where can benefit from this innovative and culturally rich learning resource.

“Minecraft Meets Pimachiowin Aki” is more than just an educational tool—it’s a celebration of Indigenous knowledge and a step forward in combining tradition­al and modern forms of education. By capturing the essence of land-based learning within a digital world, this project offers students the best of both worlds: an immersive, interactive experience that teaches valuable lessons and skills while honouring the rich cultural heritage of Pimachiowin Aki and Bloodvein First Na­tion. This collaboration between Miskooseepi School and Logics Academy sets a powerful example of how technology can enhance education while staying true to the roots and values of First Nations.

As the map grows, it promises to become an essential resource for teaching Indigenous history, environmen­tal stewardship, and the principles of truth and recon­ciliation—making it a vital tool for the next generation of learners.

Arts and crafts help young people express their creativity and imagination while pro­viding an entertaining way for them to de­velop life skills. By providing a safe space in which they can explore their feelings and concerns, art also supports students with developmental, emotional, and behavioural challenges.

These are the ideas behind a pilot project that sees Art Carts introduced to First Nations classrooms. The Art Carts contain numerous craft supplies and can be de­ployed in the classroom to support teachers in connect­ing with students, maintaining order, and providing an outlet for students with learning or behavioural challenges.

Angeline Peterson, a Student Sup­port facilitator at the Resource Cen­tre, developed the idea of the Art Carts and collected the materials to put them together.

“The concept for Art Carts arose when I began working in First Nations schools and saw a pressing need for life-promoting interventions for students, but space and resources were limited,” Peterson says. “I be­lieve that creating art is an act of self-realization that helps students better understand their feelings on what they see around them, their reaction to their life ex­periences, what they like or don’t like, and, ultimately, themselves.”

When used in an educational setting, each session with an Art Cart begins with a chime to alert students, who are then informed about the upcoming lesson. Sessions encompass activities such as painting, sketching, clay modelling, origami, and literary arts like writing po­etry, short stories, and journaling. Each session lasts a minimum of 45 minutes.

Peterson says that students have responded enthusias­tically to the Art Cart programming.

“They really show a lot of excitement and curiosity. They are eager at the start of each session. Teachers ap­preciate having access to art resources without sacri­ficing classroom space. During a visit to a school using the Art Cart, I walked through corridors adorned with vibrant paintings. In one classroom, after the session ended, a student washing their paint brushes remarked, ‘I feel so much calmer now.’ So, the Art Carts can be an amazing tool for learning, but also behavioural adjust­ments.”

The Art Cart focuses on four ther­apeutic modalities drawn from ex­pressive arts therapies: expression, imagination, active participation, and mind-body connection.

One of the greatest strengths of Art Cart programming is its adaptabili­ty to meet the unique needs of each school and student. Designed to be accessible, it encourages active par­ticipation among students with diverse abilities. Every school faces unique challenges regarding student men­tal health, and its Art Cart can be tailored accordingly.

Peterson explains that humans have engaged in ex­pressive arts since the Paleolithic period, using art not only for communication but also for healing and self-expression. She adds that while studies have confirmed art’s benefit for mental health, First Nations cultures have intuitively understood this for generations.

“As a Student Support facilitator, witnessing students engage in healthy self-expression, adaptive coping skills, and confidence-building is incredibly rewarding. Students are the heart of my work, and their happiness brings me immense joy.”

As a new school year starts on Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation, the benefits of joining the Manitoba First Nations School System (MFNSS) are becoming easy to see. The most visible improvement for staff and students is the new IT infrastructure, computers, and access to software that will undoubtedly help them on their education journey. Kiya Gedion is the Resource Centre’s Information Technology manager and had the privilege of leading the team of specialized technicians who installed new computers and IT systems in Kinonjeoshtegon’s Lawrence Sinclair Memorial School.

“My job is to lead a team of highly specialized IT per­sonnel to deploy and make sure the IT infrastructure for MFNSS schools is running properly,” Gedion says.

“When it comes to bringing Kinonjeoshtegon onboard, they really did not have anything. We’ve now outfitted them with the latest technology in the computers. They now have all the software that they need, and all the se­curity that comes with administering and maintaining such infrastructure. We basically provided them the white glove treatment, so that they really do not need to worry about technology. We are monitoring it and maintaining it, and we’ll give them updates on a quar­terly basis as to the state of their new IT infrastructure.”

Gedion adds that the system installed and the mainte­nance that comes with it are a great improvement over what was there before. By giving the school new equip­ment, Gedion knows that improved IT infrastructure will make the teachers’ jobs easier and allow them access to new educational tools, thereby improving the learning experience for their First Nations stu­dents.

“My job is very fulfilling. It is kind of groundbreaking in a sense as we are providing standardization. We are also providing cost savings to schools be­cause we can purchase equipment as a large block, tapping into economies of scale, allowing smaller schools to pool resources so they can access larger benefits,” Gedion says.

The next step in the process will be training for the school’s administrators and teachers on the new equip­ment and software by the Resource Centre’s Digital Learning Environment (DLE) unit.

From Gedion’s perspective, expanding a school’s access to the internet opens up options and possibilities for future growth, not just for the teachers, but the stu­dents as well.

“This is a link to the world, basically. We’re giving some of these kids access to the internet that they’ve nev­er had and that just opens up their possibilities. For the teachers, it’s access to different software that will make their lives easier. For the youth, they can now access things like the Wapaskwa Virtual Collegiate, which can offer them classes that they might never have been offered. Now, advanced students can access high-level math or physics or any other of those other  high-level subjects that make it really hard to get a specialized teacher to teach in small communities.”

The new computers and access to better communica­tion will also help attract and retain educators. Gedi­on says that teachers who may miss family will now be able to reach out using the improved internet connec­tion and IT infrastructure, thereby reducing the impact of homesickness.

WHY JOIN MFNSS?

Adeline Travers, principal of Lawrence Sinclair Memorial School in Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation, says that teacher retention is one of the primary rea­sons she wanted the First Nation to join MFNSS. She says that when the school was independent, it was hard to maintain competitive salaries for teaching staff.

“We’ve lost a few good teachers because of salary scales. So, for the past few years I’ve been on a quest to con­vince Chief and Council to sign up with MFNSS,” Travers says.

She adds that at first, she was against signing up to be a part of MFNSS, but as she learned more about the School System and what it offered, she changed her mind. One thing that changed her mind was access to MFNSS policies. Strong policies and procedures are crucial to the proper running of a school. Indepen­dent schools must make these far-reaching rules all by themselves, which can take years to develop. Before joining MFNSS, Kinonjeoshtegon’s school came un­der the policies of the Band, which didn’t always fit the challenges and needs of the education institution or its staff. With a lot of experience supporting and running First Nations schools, the Resource Centre and MFNSS have collected best practices and policies that schools can enact almost immediately and use them to support their staff and define the roles needed for the effective delivery of education.

Principal Travers says when she saw the new computer lab, she was very happy. “When they were done, I went in there, and everything is just top-of-the-line. And with all these new programs, like CONNECT coming into our schools, I know our teachers will appreciate the access to these new teaching tools and resources. And if we have problems or issues with the new systems, we know that IT support is just a phone call away.”

Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation joined MFNSS on No­vember 22, 2023, meaning the 2024–2025 school year will be the first school year they receive the full slate of supports and resources that the School System offers.

Principal Travers says that, ultimately, it is all about the students and ensuring that they not only have the skills and abilities to compete in today’s world but are also given the option of reinvigorating their First Nation language and culture.

“I can’t wait to get started next week when the school opens. Parents are excited in the community that we’re now under the School System. I know we have the backing of a lot of parents in the community. And re­ally, it’s all about the students and giving them the edu­cation and skills they need to make a good life. I often tell senior students, the ones about to graduate, your parents, Chief and Council, and the school can build a good nest for you to grow up and learn in, but it is up to you to spread your wings and begin to fly.”

In the summertime, the people left the shelter of the bush country and set their lodges along the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Here, they fished from their canoes and set nets overnight.

The women who remained on shore dried the fish over slow fires and then placed them in deerskin bags. With a stone, they pounded the dried fish to powder. This was mixed with fish oil and ripe berries to make a tasty fish pemmican. In the wintertime, when food was scarce, the fish mash was used to make soups and stews and tasted very good.

There was a young man who lived with his widowed mother in this Band of Saulteaux. His name was Mana­san, which means a shell. He was a wonderful fisher­man until one day he returned home with an empty canoe. This happened for seven days and Manasan be­came ashamed as all the other men were pulling in full nets.

“Do not worry,” his mother tried to comfort him. “To­morrow, you will make a good catch. My medicine is strong today.”

When Indians said their medicine was strong they meant they had a premonition that things would turn out well.

The next morning, when Manasan went out to the lake where he had set his net, he became very excited for he noticed it was heavy. His heart leapt with pride as he thought of the many fish that he had caught, and he began to pull in the net.

“Aiy, what is this?” he asked as he pulled in the net.

Manasan saw that he had caught a beautiful girl, but much different from any he had ever seen before. The upper half of her was like a woman but the part from the waist down was like a fish. He had caught a mer­maid.

“Let me go! Let me go!” she said.

She wrestled with him, trying to leap back into the wa­ter from the canoe. But Manasan was very strong, and he tied her hands behind her back and looked at her long fishtail legs.

“What are you going to do with me?” she asked.

“I am going to take you to my lodge and I am going to make you my wife.”

“You had better let me go,” the mermaid said. “It will not be good for you to take me to your home.”

But Manasan would not listen to her and he started to paddle back to shore and the lodge that he shared with his mother.

When the people saw that he had captured a mermaid, they did not like it.

“Take the under-the-water woman back and put her in the lake,” they told him sternly.

He would not and kept the mermaid with him for four days and four nights. All that time she pleaded with him to take her back and let her down into the water in his net.

“If you do this thing I will make a bargain with you. There will be fish always in your net,” she said.

So Manasan took her in his canoe and gently let down his net so that she could escape into the lake. He watched her disappear into the deep green water, and he was very sad. But the next morning, when he went out to look at his net, true enough it was filled with all sorts of fish. The next day and the next it was the same: his canoe was filled with fish. But on the fourth day, when he went out he never came back. The mer­maid tipped his canoe and took it and the paddles and the nets and Manasan down to the bottom of the lake where she lived.

Manasan’s mother was very sad. “I have lost my son to the under-the-water woman,” she wailed. “Let this be a lesson that no one ever again captures a mermaid. If a fisherman finds such a woman in his net, he must let her go free.”

At last, when there was no chance of Manasan being freed from the woman, the people moved back into the bush for the winter.

From Tracking the Past Through Legends & Stories by Alex Grisdale, MFNERC, 2015.