Indigenous Education Services

The Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Indigenous Education Services provides staff and students with an understanding and appreciation of the richness of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultures, interwoven with the Catholic faith. This helps to foster a sense of belonging and engage students in learning through relationships and cooperative support.

Acknowledgment of the Land

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools would like to thank God for all of creation. We acknowledge that we are on Treaty Six Territory to the North of the Red Deer River and Treaty Seven territory to the South of the Red Deer River. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries and whose respectful stewardship have enabled us all to enjoy the riches of the Creator’s blessings.

We are blessed to have an incredible team:

Jonathan Mauro
Indigenous Education Coordinator

Diane Gardipy
Indigenous Education Consultant

Tracy Meneen
Indigenous Education Consultant

Danielle Chamryk
Indigenous Education - Family School Enhancement Counsellor

Teresa Cardinal
Indigenous Language Instructor

We aim to provide school communities with the Foundational knowledge and Indigenous perspective necessary for us to walk together on a path of reconciliation to reduce the achievement gap between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students and all other students.

Secondly, we aim to share experiential Indigenous cultural teachings in a faith permeated environment and enrich our view of the world.

Realize that we as human beings have been put on this earth for only a short time and that we must use this time to gain wisdom, knowledge, respect and the understanding for all human beings since we are all relatives." - Cree Proverb

Cultural Education

• Collaboratively support professional learning in First Nations, Métis and Inuit education through the development of authentic learning opportunities.
• Connect teachers to culturally authentic resources with a First Nations, Métis and Inuit focus.
• Build and develop a deeper foundational knowledge on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action.
• Develop Catholic Faith connections to Indigenous spirituality and our faith through seven sacred teachings.
• Annual liturgy.

Student Support

• Develop First Nations, Metis, and Inuit leadership opportunities within the student population across the school division.
• Connecting to First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in high school to ensure that all supports and services are available to them to ensure academic success.
• Strengthening relationships with our First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities to share cultural information and make it more accessible.

RDCRS Six-Week Reconciliation Pledge Program

RDCRS Reconciliation Pledge Form