PD Spotlight: Indigenous Education

Sarah Pollard, CFIS’ Indigenous Education Lead, and Victoria Kreiberg, Kindergarten teacher and passionate advocate for Indigenous Ways of Knowing, attended the 2025 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education Gathering: Wahkotamowin for Student Success in Edmonton, Alberta. The three-day event brought together educators, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and youth from across the province to share teachings, deepen understanding, and build community.
 

Sarah, who spent much of her life in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, has long been immersed in Dene and Kwanlin Dün cultures and traditions. Her childhood was filled with land-based learning, fishing in the summer, snowmobiling in the winter, and a belief that knowing how to live off the land was just as essential as learning how to read and write. In her role at CFIS, she supports teachers in ECE and Elementary as they implement curriculum changes and integrate meaningful Indigenous resources into their classrooms.

Victoria’s connection to Indigenous teachings began in childhood when she attended her first pow-wow in Grande Prairie. Her deep respect for nature and the teachings of First Nations peoples has continued to grow, and she is committed to sharing this reverence with her students. “There is no greater teacher than Mother Earth,” she reflects, “and no better teachers of this stewardship than the First Peoples.”

Throughout the conference, Sarah and Victoria engaged in powerful learning opportunities. Highlights included hearing Niigaan Sinclair speak about residential school denialism and his latest book, participating in a women’s pipe ceremony, connecting with Elder Myna Manniapik, and listening to the voices of Indigenous youth as they discussed the current issues facing their communities.

The experience was both inspiring and grounding. Sarah and Victoria return to CFIS carrying new knowledge, strengthened relationships, and a renewed sense of purpose; ready to continue supporting Indigenous education and sharing these teachings with colleagues and students alike.