Head Start Sharing Circle Stories - Winnipeg

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Transcript - Head Start Sharing Circle Stories - Winnipeg

[Men drumming]

Today we've come together at the Forks in Winnipeg Manitoba to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve Program.

Mary Brown
Former Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve (AHSOR) Program Consultant

The Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve Program is a program that was established for children and their parents and caregivers... and what we're trying to do, is we're trying to instill in the children a lifelong desire to learn and for the parents to get involved at an earlier stage in their children's life and realize how important education is for their children.

[Pictures of children]

We have to get our children during the early years... zero to six, because that's when we can make the biggest impact.

In Manitoba, we have 36 on reserve Aboriginal Head Start Programs.

Mindy Sinclair
Early Childhood Education Coordinator - Peguis First Nation

Head Start helps the children transition into kindergarten by providing them with their different basics of learning, so they're ready to go into a higher level in education.

The 6 components of our Head Start Program are culture and language, parental involvement, social awareness, health, nutrition and education.

Mary Brown

One of the biggest components is the parental involvement component... and that's what allows a parent to come into the program with their child, to be involved, to have a say in what their child would like to learn.

Mindy Sinclair

We provide the parents with support on so many different levels, from the community getting together in different ways, different programs, to providing them support services...

[Pictures of children]

I see our culture as very important in terms of the heritage of our community and our people...

If the children understand their culture, then they understand themselves...

It's a very important part and piece to what we do.

Mary Brown

Children learn language in Ojibway, or Cree or Sioux or Dene and they learn short little sentences, little commands, like 'line up', 'sit down'... things like this...

[Pictures of children]

Mindy Sinclair

We rely on the Elders to help teach us... those who still remember the language, so we can help to teach our children.

Chief Donovan Fontaine
Sagkeeng First Nation

It goes a long way in terms of self-identity, your history, learning your background... you know they always say it's important to know where you're coming from, right?

It builds self esteem, self-identity and it creates a more positive self image for the young people.

Mindy Sinclair

Community partnerships are really important for us... tapping into the talents of other people...

Vivian Scott
AHSOR/Daycare Coordinator - Cross Lake First Nation

It could be someone from the nursing station or it could be someone from the Health or it could be an Elder coming in to teach them how to do beadwork, or learn how to quilt or learn how to singe geese.

[Pictures of children]

Mindy Sinclair

It could be nurses or police officers, different people that could come in, and to help the children understand where they're living and who the people are within the community.

Children are really excited to come to our program... they want to come to school on Sunday and Saturday and in the evenings, so they have a lot of fun... they see friends, they see their mom and dad there, maybe the Elders there, the grandparents there, so it's a good program.

Health Canada is the primary funding source... They've been there for us in so many different ways... at the regional level at the national level... they're very supportive.

[Pictures of children]

Chief Donovan Fontaine

It really gives a sense of importance to what education means for our people and our young people... it's a ticket to success... it's a ticket to careers, it's a ticket to a better life.

Susan Head
AHSOR Parent

They come home from school... they'll be singing their language... they're excited actually to go to school... that's what I like about the program.

Vivian Scott

Everybody in their First Nation are doing the best with what they've got... and you can see that today, you can see that on the children's faces, you can see it on the parents' faces... that this program does work... that it is a success and that we need to continue to have these kind of programs within our communities.