Students learn about Indigenous history, culture at Delhi museum

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Part of the Delhi Tobacco Museum and Heritage Centre’s mandate is to highlight cultural diversities in Norfolk County.

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Students learn about Indigenous history, culture at Delhi museum Back to video

Andrew Moore, curator, said Robyn Michaud’s Indigenous educational presentations on Oct. 11 were perfect for the museum.

About 60 Grade 7-8 students from Delhi Public School visited the museum, divided into three groups. Grade 7-8 students from St. Frances Cabrini School will visit Oct. 25.

“I think this is a way of bringing the history into present day, and understanding the importance of treaties, and relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people,” said Michaud, professor of Indigenous Studies at Conestoga College, author, and Indigenous education specialist. “And for me, doing this type of work is contributing to our path of reconciliation, because you’re sharing our culture in a good way. It’s our culture and our history – it shouldn’t be just about trauma, it should be about celebration and resilience.”

When Michaud shares her culture with students, she said they learn the positive, good aspects. And they learn with hands-on activities, learning history through the arts.

“It’s helping us to move forward in a positive way. They are learning things that they would never be able to learn from a history textbook.”

“It ties right into the Ontario curriculum,” said Moore, who connected with Michaud through Judy Schaeffer, a friend and long-time volunteer at the museum, and member of the Multicultural Heritage Association of Norfolk County.

“We’re always happy to host these kind of things – it’s great,” said Moore.

“She (Michaud) is starting off with a brief history of Indigenous cultures, where some of the practices come from, the beaded work, the different types of dances, the unity they have with other Six Nations groups. The main part of it is the jingle dance that she does.”

Students also learn a dance they can do at pow wows.

“Certain dances are just for Indigenous people, but if people want to go to a pow wow, some dances are for everybody,” said Moore. “So I think it’s a great way of bridging the two cultures in a collaboration, in a friendship way.”