Embracing identity, overcoming obstacles, igniting a love of learning

In Regina, Mother Teresa Middle School’s land-based curriculum and interventionist approach improves outcomes for Indigenous students

Pride of self. Pride of identity. Pride of tradition.

Taught alongside standard subjects like math and history, culture is embedded in the land-based learning curriculum at Mother Teresa Middle School in Regina, and helps young learners—70% of whom are Indigenous—know and connect with who they are through a commitment to truth and reconciliation.

Here in the Saskatchewan capital, students pick sweetgrass, the sacred hair of Mother Earth, and learn smudging ceremonies for healing and peace.

Together with the community, they scrape buffalo hide, learning to honour the animal while creating something new with its skins. They fabricate colourful beaded accessories, which adorn their clothes while they drum and recount the stories of songkeepers.

“These programs cultivate a strong sense of cultural identity and pride,” says Evie Koop Sawatzky, Director of Development at MTMS. “How powerful it is to see kids singing out in Cree and giving back to their community. It not only encourages other students, but it encourages the Elders that these songs and these stories will continue.”

An independent Catholic school, MTMS offers free education to about 60 students in Grades 6 through 8. In addition to offering its land-based learning curriculum, the school operates using an interventionist approach, providing wraparound care beyond what a typical school provides—they offer counselling, mentorship, family support, transportation, and two meals and snacks a day. If a student needs glasses, clothing, or extra auditory care, the school steps in.

In a 2023 report, the provincial auditor explains that less than 44.7% of Indigenous students in Saskatchewan graduate from high school, which is why the school’s support doesn’t end after middle school.

“Our program is 11 years long,” she says. “Our greater mission is to help vulnerable students achieve high school graduation, and pursue post-secondary education if they choose, while also supporting their journey to find meaningful employment.”

But it’s during their three years in middle school that the students develop a strong foundation for school, work, and life habits.

“These are kids who are going somewhere and need support,” Koop Sawatzky observes. “They’re little seeds that are going to turn into something amazing. MTMS ignites a love of learning and empowers students to embrace their identities while overcoming obstacles.”