Kids in Nibinamik learn science at Elephant Thoughts camp

Lennox Wabasse

Elephant Thoughts science camp stopped by Nibinamik, Ontario from July 30 to Aug. 2 to give the youth a fun way to learn about science. The camp was led by Rachel Schneider and Alannah Cady. Schneider and Cady were happy to share their knowledge with the youths who attended the camp.

“It gives them a fun way of learning science because sometimes in school it’s very strict,” said Schneider. “It gives them a fun, hands-on way to learn.”

“It gives them activities to do during the summer,” added Cady. “It brings the kids together, allows them to meet new people, make new friendships. It’s a fun way of learning. It’s unstructured play, which I think is important.”

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Schneider and Cady have been to a number of communities, including Little Black River, Manitoba; Loon RIver, Alberta and Windigo Island, Ontario. The communities they are going to be visiting next are Wunnumin Lake and Ginoogaming. They will finish the summer in Cat Lake. 

Cady thinks these programs support education on reserves by showing them learning can be fun through activities such as indoor fireworks, volcano making, tie dyeing t-shirts, ice cream making and so much more.

“Some of the stuff that we do is really simple — like some of the bubble activities, those are really simple but they’re still showing kids that bubbles are science, science is fun, learning is fun, learning is important,” she said.

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The camps are able to supplement what the kids learn in school and reinforce concepts they are already familiar with. 

“They may have learned what the state of matters are, but this way we’re giving them a different way of viewing it,” Schneider said.

Schneider thinks that running these camps is a cool experience and she enjoys going into different communities that she wouldn’t have an opportunity to see otherwise. She gets excited when she sees the kids learning new things and feels good about the work she’s doing.

Cady hopes the camp is both an educational and positive experience for the youth.

“I hope by the end of the week they feel like they’ve met somebody who is excited to see them and who wants them to have a good day,” she said. “I hope that they have fun, in whatever capacity it is, if it’s just playing with the equipment, if it’s meeting new people, if it’s doing whatever, that’s why I think it’s just important to bring a smile to their face. They’re just so sweet.”

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Paige Oskineegish, an eight-year-old member of the community, liked all the activities they did, especially the ice cream making. Oskineegish decided to attend the camp to learn about science and do activities. She had fun and would like for them to come again next year.

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Cady and Schneider try to incorporate First Nations culture into the camp by being open-minded and asking questions wherever they go. They noted that there is diversity of cultures in First Nation communities so they need to adapt to each community. 

“I think that for us, the best way that we can do that is to actually be curious and open-minded and ask the kids questions. A lot of the kids in this week’s camp write their names in Oji-Cree, which I think is really cool,” said Cady.

“Compared to the other ones this camp is very involved and there are people speaking the language which is really cool,” Schneider added.

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The pair brought a planetarium with them which projects different star constellations. The kids learn about stars, science and space while hearing stories and legends from multiple First Nations cultures.

“I’m glad that we got to have that with us because I think the kids can really relate to it,” said Schneider. “And it’s a cool fun thing for them to do.”

The camp was a success, with many of the youth coming to attend. Cady had a great experience and is thankful for being able to visit Nibinamik.

“I think we’re just really happy to be here,” she said. “We just want to say thank you to the people of Summer Beaver for having us and being so welcoming.”