Gathering or sharing circles are new to the Hanover School Division middle schools in an effort to increase their Indigenous education initiatives.

That according to Geri Harder-Robson, the assistant superintendent of student services. Harder-Robson says for a number of years they have continued to embed Indigenous perspectives in many of the activities and curriculums throughout the division.

"The most obvious one is there has been some changes to some curriculum. I'm thinking of the Canadian history where they've added the legacy of the residential schools. In our Grade 5 and 6 curriculum they've added the treaty education."

Geri Harder-RobsonHarder-Robson says the sharing circles are open to any student who wants to participate.

"In those circles, they're always run by an elder or a traditional teacher, they come in and run a sharing circle over the lunch hour with some of our students. In those settings they talk about life, they talk about life skills, they embed into it some of the stories and traditional teachings from our First Nations people."

She notes every September some of the rural schools also have 'The Day on the Land' where elders come into the school and tell stories. Harder-Robson says they also have tepee teachings and students are able to learn traditional arts and crafts.

"We've also included components of the fur trade which is part of the Grade 5 and 6 curriculum. That's just to bring in some of the history from the NorthWest Company which was owned and operated by the Metis people in Manitoba."

Harder-Robson says she thinks it's important to be implementing these education initiatives because the history of the Indigenous people is a part of this countries history.

"This is a movement in Manitoba, these are our first people and that is a story, that's why we have the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The first people of Canada haven't had an opportunity up until now to actually get their stories embedded into the regular curriculum. Many curriculums have been a British, ethnic sort of background, so we're bringing in these stories because that is Manitoba's history."

She adds schools across the division, at each grade level, have implemented these various aspects of Indigenous education. Harder-Robson says it's also about inclusion, teaching the students our history includes each person, and everyone is to be respected.