Imagine a place where nature shows itself in its own splendor, where the beauty of every tree, rock and plant fills the soul and calms the heart and the people in your surroundings focus on bringing clarity and goodness to your well being. If you can, then you’ve probably been to Thunder Bay’s School of Indigenous Learning.
S.O.I.L. is the dream child of Jeordi Pierre, who set out nine years ago to create a land-based school where people connect with nature and learn about the truly important things in life: kindness to our fellow man and spiritual healing for ourselves.
But it’s much more than that.
“We’ve had two plus generations who lost their cultural knowledge due to colonization,” Jeordi says, “So I saw a need for a learning space especially for youth to regain the knowledge that was lost.”
It’s fitting that the motto of the centre states: The more we know about each other, the better this world will be.
Jeordi envisioned having several tipis when he set out to create S.O.I.L. but it has grown beyond that. The environment now includes four tipis, heated and non heated cabins, a prospector tent, event tent, and an outdoor kitchen, all nestled near a scenic lookout, numerous hiking trails and a stream and waterfall.
The centre is currently building a stable and a corral in anticipation of the Ojibwe horses they have purchased and will be trailering in from Quebec. “Horses have a way of reaching into your soul,” Jeordi says. “They know you for who you are and only want the good from you.”
It seems only fitting that this breed rescued from extinction is finding its way to S.O.I.L. to help restore the native culture.
The centre’s programs and activities focus on three main areas: Teachings and Traditions, including teachings on the Anishinawbek language, drums and songs, and the medicine wheel; Knowledge, including the history of Indigenous people, the life cycle, and people’s roles and responsibilities; and Skills and Crafts, including learning everything from hunting, trapping, and survival skills, as well as beading and willow and birch bark basket making.
It’s not surprising that over six thousand people from all over the world have travelled to S.O.I.L.’s cultural program. People from as far away as Congo, Croatia, India, Pakistan and Iran have come to appreciate all that nature has to share and the native culture has to offer.
Many groups have visited the centre, including social services, French language schools, police services and border control, all with the goal of creating an understanding of the native culture.
“For the last three years we’ve run the Law Camp for Lakehead’s Law program,” Jeordi says. “The students spend their first days of school at S.O.I.L. learning about our culture before entering a classroom to ensure they’re starting this chapter of their education with an Indigenous knowledge base.”
An important part of any program includes the sharing circle, where everyone in a group is given the opportunity to talk about any story from their lives. “It’s a place that has no beginning and no end, like a circle, not a square,” Jeordi says. “Unexplainable stories happen here and a great deal of healing occurs.”
Jeordi maintains that the centre is not about the people that work there or the programs it has to offer, but the people who have been affected. When people tell Jeordi that their lives have been changed, he knows that Mother Earth has been allowed to heal and restore her children’s well being.
During one program that hosted a school, the centre put on a puppet show about the Grandfather teachings.
“After the show we had a mini pow-wow and all the kids danced around the big drum. Seeing their smiles and how they all danced together around the drum was a very special day at S.O.I.L.,” Jeordi says. “The dream and goal of S.O.I.L. had come to life.”
If you would like to learn more about S.O.I.L., visit their website at www.indlearning.ca Everyone, no matter what age or ethnic background, is welcome.
