The Everlasting Tree School

A Waldorf Education and Kanyen’keha Rotinonhsonni Culture Based Model of Learning

Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill

McMaster University

and Amber Skye

University of Toronto

NURTURING CAPACITY

FOUNDING SPONSOR

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Preface

Nurturing Capacity: Building Community Success

Indspire’s K-12 Institute is focused on dramatically increasing high school completion rates among

Indigenous students by building strong foundations in their K-12 education. Through various programs,

resources and events, the Institute fosters collaboration between educators, communities, and others

to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students.

Indspire conducts research to identify and document educational best practices from across Canada and

shares these successful practices through the Indspire’s K-12 Institute. Indspire also champions

Indigenous approaches to education, those that honour Indigenous culture, values, and worldviews.

Project Abstract

The Everlasting Tree School is an innovative model of Indigenous education at the Six Nations

community, grounded in Kanyen’keha (Mohawk), Rotinonhsonni culture, and the principles of Waldorf

Education. Using community-based approaches to research, this research explored the school’s unique

educational approach, success criteria developed by the school, and the expectations of parents and

teachers for student learning. Interviews were conducted with both parents and teachers, along with

Oral Speaking Proficiency Ratings after Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) using the American Council on

the Teaching of Foreign Languages Rating Scale (ACTFL) student testing scores. The interviews and

testing scores revealed that the majority of the students have developed conversational Kanyen’keha

fluency. Furthermore, interview data demonstrated success in the school’s objectives to foster good

minded students, whole child development, and an integrated community of learning among teachers,

students, and families. Through the voices of parents and teachers, this research shares the successes of

the school and serves as a guide for the future development of effective Indigenous education practice.

Furthermore, the information gathered provides educators and learners with information about the

strengths of the Waldorf educational approach for Indigenous language education.

Project Holder

Skaronhyase'ko:wa Tsyohterakentko:wa Tsi Yontaweya’tahkwa - The Everlasting Tree School

Contact Person: Amy Bomberry

Address: 775 Seneca Rd. Ohsweken, ON

Telephone: 519-445-1333 Fax: n/a

Email: info@everlastingtree.org Website: http://everlastingtree.org

Project Lead:

Amy Bomberry, Administrative Director

Email: admin@everlastingtree.org Telephone: 519-445-1333

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Table of Contents

Preface 2

Nurturing Capacity: Error! Bookmark not defined.

Project Abstract 2

Project Holder 2

Project Lead: 2

Table of Contents 3

Executive Summary 4

Background: Match between Nurturing Capacity Principles and Everlasting Tree School 4

Context/History of Project 6

Indigenous Language Group 6 About The School 8 History 8 Geography of the Area 9 Indigenous Educational Practice 9

Logic Model 11

Figure 1. School Logic Model - The Everlasting Tree School Model for Learning 13

Measuring Success 14

Sharing Success 16

Table 1. The Everlasting Tree School Oral Speaking Proficiency Rating after Oral Proficiency Interviews

(OPI) 17 Table 2. ACTFL Proficiency Levels 18

Significant Accomplishments 22

Challenges 23

Next Steps 24

School Information 24

References 25

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Executive Summary

Skaronhyase'ko:wa Tsyohterakentko:wa Tsi Yontaweya’tahkwa (The Everlasting Tree School) is an

initiative founded in June 2010 by a group of five families from the Six Nations community seeking a

holistic experience in education grounded in Kanyen’keha (Mohawk), Rotinonhsonni culture, and the

principles of Waldorf Education, inspiring life-long learning. The mission of the school is to “foster and

nurture in each child, the skills, knowledge and confidence to actualize his/her fullest human potential

to strengthen the families, clans, community and nation” through Kanyen’keha (The Everlasting Tree

School.

The purpose of this project was to document and evaluate the innovative approach of The Everlasting

Tree School using community-based approaches to project development, evaluation and knowledge

sharing. Working with the Everlasting Tree School the research questions, data collection method and

evaluation and dissemination was developed. A series of 8 interviews were conducted with parents and

teachers from the school to explore the unique educational approach of the school and the expectations

of parents and teachers for student learning. This information was analyzed and evaluated along with

Oral Speaking Proficiency Ratings after Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) using the American Council on

the Teaching of Foreign Languages Rating Scale (ACTFL) student testing scores. The interviews and

testing scores revealed that a majority of the students have developed conversational Kanyen’keha

fluency. Furthermore, interview data demonstrated success in the schools objectives to foster good

minded students, whole child development and an integrated community of learning among teachers,

students and their families. This report details the successes of the school and serves as a guide the

future development of effective Indigenous education practice. Furthermore, the information gathered

provides educators and learners throughout Canada with information about the utility of a Waldorf

education approach for Indigenous language education.

Background: Match between Nurturing Capacity Principles and Everlasting Tree School

The Indspire K-12 Institute is currently exploring successful educational practices based on principles

that honour Indigenous ways of knowing and values. The guiding principles serve as a starting point for

identifying and validating effective, innovative and successful practices in Indigenous education. The

Everlasting Tree School has been identified as an innovative Indigenous educational practice that

honours Indigenous ways of knowing and aligns with the Indspire foundational principles.

The Everlasting Tree School is a community-based initiative that seeks to provide a holistic experience in

education grounded in Kanyen’keha, Rotinonhsonni culture, and the principles of Waldorf Education. In

their approach the Rotinonhson:ni teachings are incorporated into the Waldorf Education curriculum,

which inspires learning using the body, mind, and spirit. In review of the schools principles and delivery

of Kanyen’keha language and Waldorf inspired Rotinonhsonni curriculum, the model of education of The

Everlasting Tree School has been found to be highly consistent with traditional Indigenous philosophies

of education and the Indspire foundational guiding principles for Indigenous educational practice.

Principle 1 of Indspire foundational guiding principles for Indigenous educational practice affirms the

Indigenous right to retain shared responsibility for the education and well-being of our children. The

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Everlasting Tree School is an independent school in the Six Nations community that began as a home-

schooling collective for Kanyen’keha speaking families who envisioned a school that delivered

Kanyen’keha language and supported the whole development of their children. The parents took it upon

themselves to provide their children with an alternative to the mainstream education system, to ensure

their children were provided not only with Kanyen’keha instruction but an educational approach that

was founded in Indigenous methodologies and developmental philosophies. As a group of parents and

community members invested in the education of their children and the community, they took it upon

themselves to explore the Waldorf philosophy of education and found it to be consistent with

Indigenous philosophies of education that encourage whole child development, experiential learning,

use of art and storytelling and the importance of play, imagination, nature/land and the role of healthy

foods.

Principle 3 of Indspire foundational guiding principles for Indigenous educational practice supports

Indigenous Knowledges (ways of being, knowing, valuing and doing), which convey our responsibilities

and relationships to all life is a valued and foundational aspect of the learning program for all children

and youth. The Everlasting Tree School seeks to incorporate Indigenous ways of being, knowing and

doing into their curriculum. The school seeks to provide a safe, nurturing place to experience the

wonders of nature and the beauty of expression that comes from thinking, speaking and interacting in

Kanyen’keha (The Everlasting Tree School, 2015). The symbol for the school is the Everlasting Tree (Dust

Fan) Wampum Belt that represents everlasting peace that results when people learn how to nurture,

enjoy and maintain healthy relations with Creation, and between people and nations.

Principle 4 of Indspire foundational guiding principles for Indigenous educational practice asserts that,

cultural/language communities have the right to define success for their own well-being. Defining

success on their own terms, The Everlasting Tree School envisions a future of learners who are good-

minded thinkers, who are self-reliant in their skills, inter-dependent, and responsible to others. They

seek to uplift the minds of students with creative thinking, renew student spirit with a deeper

connection to the earth, strengthen student bodies with natural foods and medicines and assist

students in building strong, healthy relationships with each other, their families, their community, other

nations and with Mother Earth (The Everlasting Tree School, 2015). Indeed, shaping good-minded

thinkers is a Haudenosaunee value that was continuously expressed by parents when asked why they

chose to send their children to the school. When asked about expectations for their child’s education at

the school, a parent expressed “aside from language, for my kids to I guess to just be good people. We

do as much as we can at home and then at school – they spend so many hours at school they are

exposed to a lot more away from us and we just hope they are helping mould, helping shape them to be

good people” (Interview 2).

Principle 4 of Indspire foundational guiding principles for Indigenous educational practice advocates

learning as lifelong, holistic, and experiential, which is rooted in language and culture, is place-based,

spiritually oriented, communal and open to multiple ways of knowing the world. The Everlasting Tree

School views the development of children as an individual process in the educational journey. Children

attending the school do not progress from a grade to grade based on age but instead are moved

between the early learning, primary and junior rooms based on their mental, emotional, physical and

spiritual development. When asked about this approach to student placement, a parent shared the view

that at education is a developmental journey for the students suggesting that at “certain periods of your

life there are life changes and we need to know we are ready to go onto the next cycle” (Interview 2).

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Principle 7 of Indspire foundational guiding principles for Indigenous educational practice advocates

recognizing the legacy of the colonial histories of Indigenous peoples, viewing education as a process of

decolonization, which seeks to strengthen, enhance & strengthen and embrace Indigenous Knowledge

and experience through various strategies including but not limited to anti-racist, anti-oppressive

pedagogies and Indigenous pedagogies. Indigenous pedagogies were clearly employed throughout the

educational approach of The Everlasting Tree School. Most prominently, storytelling and experiential

learning were identified as primary methods of curriculum delivery at the school. Indigenous cultures

including the Haudenosaunee have long passed on knowledge from generation to generation through

oral traditions, including storytelling. Oral narratives are the traditional method used to teach about

cultural beliefs, values, history, practices, relationships, and ways of life (Archibald, 2008). Many parents

spoke of the use of stories in the classroom as highly effective means for teaching their children.

Context/History of Project

Indigenous Language Group

The Everlasting Tree School is a Kanyen’keha (Mohawk) immersion school located in the Rotinonhson:ni

community of Six Nations in Southern Ontario. The Kanyen’keha language is from the Iroquoian

language family. The Iroquois more commonly refer to themselves as the Rotinonhson:ni meaning “The

People of the Longhouse”. The Rotinonhson:ni are a confederacy of six nations who came together to

form a peaceful alliance under The Great Law of Peace or "Kayanerakowa" teachings. The six nations

include the Mohawk (Kanyen’keha), Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida and Tuscarora. Each nation has

a distinct language that is identified as belonging to the Iroquoian Language Family. There are

approximately 81,000 people identified as Iroquois in Canada and about 25,000 of those are

Kanyen’keha.

However, like most Indigenous languages in Canada, Kanyen’keha is an endangered language. Of the

976,000 who identified as Aboriginal in the 2001 Canadian Census just under a quarter (235,000) said

that they had knowledge of, or ability to converse in, an Aboriginal language (Norris, 2006). Of those

who had knowledge of an Aboriginal language, only 13% reported speaking an Aboriginal language most

often in their home (ibid). This number is particularly concerning as it is known that if a language is not

being spoken within the family home it is less likely to be the mother tongue of the next generation.

The viability or continuity of a language is dependent on it being used on a daily basis, ideally as the

major home language (RCAP, 1996). Data shows that, the total population with an Aboriginal mother

tongue declined from 208,600 in 1996 to 203,300 in 2001 (Norris, 2006). However, most recent data

from 2011 census suggests an increase to 213,500 in mother tongue speakers. Yet, according to the

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a language is considered

endangered if it is not learned by at least 30% of children in a community (Norris, 2006). The 2001

census data indicates that only 15% of Aboriginal children in Canada under the age of five had learned

an Indigenous mother tongue. Also, the average age of the mother tongue population is ageing (Census,

2001: Norris, 2003).

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Second language acquisition is found to be more prevalent among younger generations of Aboriginal

people (Norris, 2006). Data from 1996 – 2001 shows that some languages experienced growth in the

total number of speakers; this growth suggests faster second language acquisition (Census, 2001: Norris,

2006). However, varying levels of fluency exist amongst second language speakers (Norris, 2006).

The levels of language maintenance among Aboriginal groups in Canada also vary by geographic

location. Remote communities generally retain the language much better compared to more urban

communities where retention rates are low (ibid). Data shows that 55% of the on-reserve Aboriginal

population had an ability to speak an Aboriginal language compared to 19% of those living off-reserve

and only 12% of those living in cities (Norris, 2006). Language retention also varies by Aboriginal groups.

However, among all language groups there has been a decline in mother tongue speakers.

While limited data is available on the total number of Kanyen’keha speakers for the Six Nations

community, information from the Six Nations Language Commission shows that there are currently only

10 mother tongue first language Kanyen’keha speakers in the community (Personal Communications,

2014). Data is not available on the number of second language speakers although it is expected to be

increasing with recent efforts aimed at language acquisition. Furthermore, according to 2011 census

data there are a total of just 545 Kanyen’keha mother tongue language speakers in Canada. However, as

the largest First Nations community in Canada, the limited number of mother tongue Kanyen’keha

speakers is concerning for the future of the language at Six Nations.

According to the National First Nations Language Implementation Plan, “languages embody our

relationship with the Creator and express our fundamental beliefs and values. Our languages form the

cornerstone of who we are as First Nations” (McDonald, 2007: p. 4). This is a right that is fundamentally

protected as a section 35(1) Aboriginal right in The Constitution Act 1982, as well within certain treaties

for First Nations. Language survival is also key to our cultural survival as Mohawk people. Revitalization

of our languages serves to enhance our well-being preserve and enrich our linguistic and cultural wealth

as a Nation (Norris, 2006). Norris (2006) explains that efforts to learn one’s language are linked with

advancing and maintaining the links with identity, land, and traditional knowledge. There is much

support for the need to retain our languages and cultures. On September 13, 2007 the United Nations

(UN) adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by a vote of 143 to 4. Canada,

Australia, New Zealand, and The United States were in opposition (Declaration, 2007). However, in 2010

Canada formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples however,

emphasizing that the declaration does not reflect customary international law nor change Canadian

laws. Article 13 declares: “the right to revitalize, use, develop and transmit to future generations their

histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures, and to designate and

retain their own names for communities, places and persons” and article 14 declares: “the right to

establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own

languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning”

Given the current endangered state of the Kanyen’keha language, efforts to retain and transmit the

Kanyen’keha language are paramount. Furthermore, research is needed to understand methods of

successful language transmission. Currently, there is little information on successful methods available

and assessments of Indigenous education approaches and evaluation of community language retention

educational approaches are lacking as well. This research will examine one community based approach

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to Kanyen’keha language transmission and highlight the model and its successes to help develop a

greater understanding of community language transmission.

About The School

The Everlasting Tree School has been in operation for 5 years. Although they began with just 6 students

and their families interested in the concept of the school, by the time they opened their doors in

September 2010 they had 20 students in total. The schools numbers have remained steady with a

current registration of 26 students in the Primary (K-3) and Junior (4-5) ages groups. Therefore the focus

for the project will be Primary (K-3) and Junior (4-5) age groups.

The school currently has 3 full time classroom teachers, and a Language Resource teacher as well as 2

teacher’s assistants. Almost all the students enrolled in the school are Indigenous (96%). The school is

also overseen by an all-Indigenous school board that includes; parents and community members

dedicated to Kanyen’keha language revitalization.

The school boasts four classrooms and a small gym as well as a kitchen, garden, outdoor trails and

natural play equipment. Outdoor space for activities is essential to the delivery of the school’s

curriculum as students spend a lot of time gardening, harvesting and exploring the natural environment.

As well a fire pit outside the school is used for daily recital of the Thanksgiving address before school

begins.

History

The Everlasting Tree School opened its doors in September 2010 to the children of Six Nations. It began

as a home-schooling collective for Kanyen’keha speaking families. Initially, the school was located on

private property where classes were taught in yurts donated by a community member who supported

the vision of the school and the broader goal of revitalizing Kanyen’keha language and culture. The

school board, staff, families and other devoted community members, continually lobbied the Six Nations

Band Council to provide assistance for the school. The Six Nations Band Council then designated

property to establish a permanent location for the school. Through a number of fundraising initiatives

and private donations, a new school was built and opened its doors in September 2013, providing

expansion and enhancement of the schools Kanyen'keha and Rotinonhsonni educational experience.

The school now operates as an alternative independent elementary school at Six Nations.

Currently, the Everlasting Tree School is in its fifth year of providing an alternative education

opportunity for committed families who are seeking language learning opportunities as they work

collectively to revitalize Kanyen’keha at Six Nations of the Grand River. In November 2014, the school

submitted an Aboriginal Languages Initiative project proposal entitled: Tenhontatisheke Tsi

Kahwatsiratye “Our Families Will Continue Speaking” to the Department of Canadian Heritage which

was approved, enabling the school to expand their education to the preschool age group (2-4 years).

Education to this age group is offered as a language nest. In addition, this initiative allowed for beginner

and advanced community language classes and a master-apprentice program for the schools immersion

teachers. The school also provides opportunities for adult learners of Kanyen’keha to volunteer within

the school in order to practice their acquired language skills. The school also provides supply teaching

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opportunities for teachers of Kanyen’keha seeking teaching experience in an alternative immersion

setting.

Geography of the Area

Six Nations of the Grand River is located in Southern Ontario. For the loyalty of some Iroquois nations to

the Crown, the Six Nations were deeded a tract of land along the Grand River. Eventually, most of the

land was be stripped from them and at present Six Nations sits on 46,000 acres (Six Nations Elected

Council. 2013). The main reserve is located approximately 25 km southwest of the city of Hamilton,

Ontario between the cities of Brantford, Caledonia, and Hagersville (Six Nations Elected Council. 2013).

Six Nations has the largest population of all First Nations in Canada. According to the Six Nations

Lands/Membership Department as of December 2013, the total band membership is 25,660, with

approximately half of the population (12,271) living on reserve (2013). A 50 year population projection

of the community’s on-reserve population is estimated at 41,563 (Six Nations Elected Council. 2013).

The young and growing population of Six Nations presents the opportunity for the Kanyen’keha

language to flourish with the coming generations. This will require concerted efforts on the part of the

community, parents and families at Six Nations. However, the close proximity of Six Nations to several

towns and urban centres challenges language preservation at Six Nations. Norris (2006) notes that:

remote Aboriginal communities commonly retain their language much better than more urban

communities where retention rates are often low. In fact, most Six Nations youth are bussed to high

schools in neighbouring towns where their ability to learn and speak the language is very limited. In fact,

even on reserve, most elementary school students are only provided with language sessions where they

learn basic words and speeches in the Cayuga or Mohawk languages.

Indigenous Educational Practice

The Everlasting Tree School aims to address the need for Kanyen’keha language preservation at Six

Nations. The school provides a Kanyen’keha immersion language instruction grounded in Rotinonhsonni

culture, and the principles of Waldorf Education. In their approach the Rotinonhson:ni teachings are

incorporated into the Waldorf Education curriculum, which aims to inspire life-long learning using the

body, mind, and spirit. The school supports each child in intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual

development by offering a curriculum that integrates academic, practical, experiential, and artistic work.

This approach is highly consistent with traditional Indigenous philosophies of education, which are

highly focused on holistic learning. Holistic learning encompasses the four elements of the whole child,

the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual (Hill, 2004). The Everlasting Tree School curriculum utilizes

the Waldorf education curriculum but through Rotinonhson:ni teachings that align with the approach.

Movement, active exploration, artistic exploration, creative activities and hands-on learning; this

approach is emphasized in Waldorf curriculum and very much aligns with Indigenous approaches to

knowledge sharing. The visual focus of Waldorf education is also common to the learning styles of many

Aboriginal children (Hill, 2004).

Hill (2004, p.17) writes:

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Through art, First Nations children can have a real connection to the voices/beliefs of their

ancestors. Art is the primary way in which culture is manifested. In First Nations communities,

Elders and artists passed on their knowledge and experience in situations where the children

learned by doing. As they made pottery, they talked about the earth as mother. They talked

about the designs. As they wove fishing nets, they talked about fish.

By engaging students with Rotinonhson:ni teachings through the time-tested Waldorf education

approach The Everlasting Tree School provides a dynamic, innovative and experiential learning

experience for learners, their parents and families. In fact, key to the schools approach is the active

involvement and engagement of families of students and the community.

The values of The Everlasting Tree School are based upon the traditional Rotinonhson:ni teachings. The

school seeks to ensure that their values are incorporated into teaching methods, content and school

governance. Each value is intended to guide the schools objective of achieving increasingly higher levels

of Kanyen’keha proficiency, and to carry on language transmission for the coming generations.

Below is a list of the schools values:

1) Tetewatenonhwera:tonnyons – Be thankful, and express it daily and whenever the people

gather for any event. We will help our children observe the Annual Cycle of Ceremonies.

2) Ka’nikonhri:yo – To keep the Good Mind. We will use the Good Mind in thought, word and

action – show respect and fairness to all people.

3) Kanoronhkwatshera – To care and love one another. We will greet each other with

kindness and thanksgiving. Be good to one another, and love each other as if members of one

family. We will also teach our children how to take care of themselves as they grow up.

4) Tewatatkwenyenhstha’ – To respect one another. Children are to be respected and be

respectful of others. One way to show respect is to share the workload in all things, so we will

emphasize sharing, cooperation and being helpful.

5) Tyohtkon sken:nen enkenhake – To be at peace always. We will help our children become

peaceful in all their relationships.

6) Niyohaha:’a – Follow the Path of the Creator. The Creator set out a path for us to explore

while here on earth. That path provides experiences that help us understand how the world

works and our place within the world. We will help our children walk on the path of their

ancestors to discover their own meaning.

7) Tyonhehkwen – To respect of Life Supporters. We are to cultivate the plants provided by

the Sky Woman and the Skyholder. The Three Sisters are provided to sustain the people. They

have a spiritual essence that will help nourish the people. Planting, cultivating, harvesting and

preparing crops will be hard work, but if the people use a Good Mind, they will see a great

harvest and be able to feed their families.

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8) Ohen:ton entewahwatsirata:tye enyethiyanonhtonnyonhwe’ - Consider the future

generation. The people were warned that the lack of love will bring anxiety and sorrow to future

generations. We will help our children have a positive outlook and be forward thinking, not

caught in a troubled past.

9) Ken’taratatye’ - To Live within Family Clans. The clans are the way to create social harmony

and lift each other’s minds in time of need. Our classrooms will be like family spaces in which we

draw upon family relations to teach our children their responsibilities to the larger group.

10) Enyethi’nikonhrayentahten’ - Love Children. We are to raise the children to respect this

way of life. We will tell them the stories of what has taken place. Children will be made to feel

welcomed to this world and our place of learning.

11) Atatkahritatshera’ - Be Healthy. Our ceremonies are part of our health plan. We are to be

respectful of the power of the medicine plants and use them properly. We will teach our

children how to gather herbal medicines properly, with the expert guidance of knowledgeable

practitioners. (“Our Values”, The Everlasting Tree School, 2015).

The utilization of Waldorf curriculum supports the schools values and objectives. Unlike the standard

Ontario curriculum, Waldorf curriculum supports the values of love, respect and peace and as these

values are also foundational Rotinonhson:ni values, the curriculum enhances the learning experience of

students allowing them to not only learn Kanyen’keha, but also live and practice Rotinonhson:ni culture,

thus supporting holistic learning.

Logic Model

Theory of change logic models are typically the foundation project planning. When developed well, logic

models can ensure intellectual rigor for project logic (Knowlton & Phillips, 2012). The strategies of the

model reflect the resources, activities, timeline and outputs needed to achieve the desired results.

Results reflect the sequence of outcomes over the time-frame through impact of the project (ibid).

Outcomes (for individuals) are generally progress in changes in awareness, knowledge, skill, or

behaviour among targeted audiences. There are also outcomes for the community or systems. Yet while

a theory of change can create a probable and evidence-based connection between the strategies and

system impact; these changes are usually beyond the scope of the project (ibid).

The basic elements for each component of a project logic model typically include resources, activities,

outputs, outcomes, and impact. The project logic model elements are defined as follows by Knowlton &

Phillips:

Resources are essential for activities to occur. They can include human, financial, organizational,

community, or systems resources in any combination. They are used to accomplish named

activities. Sometimes resources are called inputs.

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Activities are the specific actions that make up the program. They reflect tools, processes, events,

technology, and other devices that are intentional in the program. Activities are synonymous

with interventions deployed to secure the desired changes or results.

Outputs are what specific activities will produce or create. They can include descriptions of types,

levels, and audiences or targets delivered by the program. Outputs are often quantified and

qualified in some way. They simply characterize the application of activities with selected

audiences.

Outcomes are about changes, often in program participants or organizations, as a result of the

program. They often include specific changes in awareness, knowledge, skill, and behaviour.

Outcomes are dependent on preceding resources, activities, and outputs.

Impact is the ultimate intended change in an organization, community, or other system. It carries

an implication about time. It varies in its relative timing to the actual program or change effort.

Sometimes impact occurs at the end of the program, but more frequently, the impact sought is

much more distant.

(2012, p.37-39).

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Presented below is the logic model for The Everlasting Tree School Model for Learning (Figure 1).

Figure 1. School Logic Model - The Everlasting Tree School Model for Learning

Results

Impact Stronger Kanyen’keha Rotinonhsonni families, clans, community

and nations.

Community transmission of Kanyen’keha language.

Students with deeper connection to the earth.

Intermediate

Outcomes

Student development of strong, healthy relationships with each

other, their families, their community, other nations and with

our Mother Earth.

Uplift student minds with creative thinking.

Students who think, speak and interact in Kanyen’keha.

Short Term

Outcomes

Safe, nurturing school environment.

Strengthen student’s bodies with natural foods and medicines.

Begin to converse in Kanyen’keha.

Learn Rotinonhsonni teachings, stories and practices.

Outputs and

Indicators

Delivery of school curriculum and appropriate teaching methods

including settings.

ACTFL testing delivery.

Respond to community needs/recommendations (student,

parent, board and teacher).

Incorporate local experts into curriculum delivery.

Major

Activities

Development of school curriculum and appropriate teaching

methods including setting.

Regular board meetings.

ACTFL testing.

Dialogue with students, parents, and teachers.

Consultation with local experts/Elders.

Inputs:

Resources

Administration and School Board.

Community resources/ community support – Elders, parents &

families.

Stable Funding.

Knowledgeable Kanyen’keha teachers.

Community space/location.

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Measuring Success

The project sought to identify what the measures of success are for Kanyen’keha immersion language

education (as articulated by students, parents/families and teachers) and to identify how their

innovations demonstrate success among the school’s students and families.

To achieve these objectives the project activities and process involved the following:

1. Meetings with The Everlasting Tree School were conducted to develop research partnership and

discuss the research plan, objectives, activities, timeline and projected outcomes. Continued

correspondence will ensure that the project is in line with the culture and protocols of the school

as well as the needs and expectations of the school. A strong partnership was key to the success

of the project. School support promoted active participation from the school aiding recruitment

and data collection. Ongoing meetings also aided the development of the measures of success.

Defining success through the lens of the school, particularly the parents helped to guarantee that

the project measurements are useful and practical to the school and demonstrate that they are

meeting their organizational objectives.

2. Recruitment was supported by teachers and school staff. A letter outlining the project

information in detail was provided to the school staff that supported the recruitment of

parents/families and teachers.

3. The development of interview questions and consent forms was done in partnership with the

school representatives. This process ensured that the tools were appropriate and responsive the

needs and expectations of the school. The development of the tools was also guided by the

objectives of the project that have been agreed upon with the school.

4. Interviews with The Everlasting Tree School staff, parents/families were organized to document

their experience and hear their perceptions of schools model. Information was gathered about

The Everlasting Tree School model and its application to language transmission, learning

experiences of students, parents and teachers at the school and factors impacting language

fluency through a narrative methodology. The narrative approach to program evaluation is

commonly used because it tells the program's story by capturing and communicating the

participants' stories. “Evaluation case studies have all the elements of a good story. They tell

what happened when, to whom, and with what consequences” (Patton, 2003, p.2). The narrative

method will allow each participant to define and assess the outcomes of the learning methods

that they identify as challenging or successful. This method allows for each participant to define

success on their terms. This approach speaks to the need to give voice to the community in

Indigenous research methodology and particularly evaluation. In evaluation research we hear

less about the contexts of practice and ways of viewing the ‘problem’ at hand other than those

preconceived by the designers (Riley & Hawe, 2005). Furthermore, storytelling is seen as a

cultural approach to collecting information because it uses the oral tradition of sharing stories to

elicit information (Stewart, 2008).

5. Quantitative Data Collection. In addition to collecting narratives from participants, I also

gathered information from the school on past and recent Oral Speaking Proficiency Ratings after

15

Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) using the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign

Languages Rating Scale (ACTFL). This is the current method of testing students within the school

and provides insight into the Mohawk language fluency of the students at the school. This

information was tabulated and presented as data on student levels of fluency. Together with the

narrative accounts, analysis provides insight into the effectiveness of the schools model of

learning and language transmission.

6. Documentation of specific curriculum strategies used for student and family support was also

collected and present in this report.

7. Documentation on how The Everlasting Tree School model of education reflects the seven

foundational guiding principles Indigenous for educational practice was also collected and

presented in this report.

8. Review and analyze interview data collected using approaches that align with Indigenous

methodologies. Specifically narrative analysis will be used to explore the stories shared by

participants. This approach will allow the researcher to identify what major narratives were

observed in the stories and experiences shared. These narratives and insights that emerge from

the stories gathered from teachers and parents generate a comprehensive understanding of the

factors and relationships between those factors that facilitate or hinder the model delivery.

Narrative analysis seeks to put together the “big picture” about the experiences and events as

the participants understand them. Narrative analysis differs from the standard qualitative

thematic approach to data analysis in that, narrative analysis contextualizes the sense making

process (interpretation) by focusing on the person, rather than a set of themes (Riley & Hawe,

2005). By removing the template for analysis from the researcher’s approach, the researcher was

able to focus on the stories in the ‘context of the practice’. This approach provides the

participants with voice throughout the analysis process.

9. Data will be organized into a report and contrasted with the current literature on Indigenous

educational best practices. Using information from area of Indigenous education and more

specifically language immersion education will provide the backdrop against which to review the

innovated model of the school.

10. Once data is organized it will also be presented back to the community (school). This will provide

the school with an opportunity to provide feedback as a way of member checking. This feedback

will be used in the development of the final report to be presented to Indspire.

11. Interview stories and quotes are also planned to be used for the schools website. Information

gathered has been shared with the school and they will present this on their website to

demonstrate the success of the school for funders or potential students. All participants will be

asked to provide consent prior to the use of their stories for the website.

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Sharing Success

The significant indicators of success for the parents and teachers of The Everlasting Tree school were

identified as: students who are able to understand and converse in the Kanyen`keha language, students

who are wholly developed, students who are good minded and integrated community of learning.

Above all parents and teachers of The Everlasting Tree school wanted to give their children the

opportunity to learn the Kanyen`keha language. The goals for their child in learning the language at the

school was to develop a language fluency that would allow them to understand and converse in

Kanyen`keha. Indeed the ability to develop a conversational level of fluency is a key feature of success in

immersion language programs (McCarty, 2003). Many parents spoke of their child’s developing ability to

converse in the language as an outcome of the conversational approach to learning the language that is

used in the school. A parent shared their view of the conversation approach, “all the workers do their

best to use fluency throughout the day and it just being very conversational as opposed to just dictating,

kind of remembering and I think that’s huge. That’s where it all begins, conversation” (Interview 8).

While children of parents interviewed were varying ages and thus at different levels of language

acquisition, many parents of students in the junior levels within the school (comparable to Grades 4 & 5)

attest to a successful level of language fluency their children have at this stage in their immersion

education.

A parent of the school shares:

Just seeing them interact with each other… they don’t talk in long sentences to each other but

they still communicate in the language. My oldest son has been in the program for 4-5 years now

and just to see his growth every year is amazing. He is a pretty high advanced learner and with the

language, he has a very high level (of fluency) he would be a intermediate high I guess, if you to

put him on a scale, and every year he just goes up and up he can understand so much, it’s

amazing and that just goes to show that’s coming from the teachers that he has had and the level

of fluency they had. Just what he is able to pick up and he’s hearing the language all the time as

much as possible, he’s able to pick it up (Interview 2).

All parents shared that they considered language fluency as a primary or secondary motivator for

sending their children to The Everlasting Tree School. However, all parents interviewed about their

child’s fluency development were not concerned with the lack of yearly formal reporting on fluency

levels. The whole child approach to learning at the school acknowledges that each child learns and

develops at a different pace. Therefore, each child is expected to be at a different level of language

proficiency. Still all parents interviewed clearly expressed that they were confident in their child’s

language development and felt their child was on a definite path towards Kanyen`keha language

fluency. Therefore, it was clear from the interviews that parents assessed their children’s language

development as successful.

In addition to the narratives shared by parents and teachers, information was also gathered from the

school on past and recent Oral Speaking Proficiency Ratings after Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) using

the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Rating Scale (ACTFL). This is the current

method of testing students within the school and provides insight into the Kanyen`keha language

fluency of the students at the school. This student testing score upon entrance to the school was

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assessed and for the first 3 years of instruction was re-assessed. This information is presented below in

Table 1.

Table 1. The Everlasting Tree School Oral Speaking Proficiency Rating after Oral Proficiency Interviews

(OPI)

Note: most recent data is available for 2013 and retesting will occur in early 2016. Also students who

have graduated out of the school or moved from the school are listed in table as N/A. The ACTFL rating

scale is presented in Table 2 and provides description of competency levels of each level of proficiency.

Notable oral speaking proficiency gains were made for 80% of the students in the first year of language

instruction. Those students who failed to make proficiency gains remained on level with entrance

testing scores. Also noteworthy is the progresses of students to intermediate levels where they develop

the ability to begin to create with language ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics and

handle a simple situation or transaction and advanced levels where students are then able to narrate

and describe in the past, present and future and handle a complicated situational transaction. The

ACTFL testing scores support the success of students identified in interviews for student development

conversational fluency skills. As illustrated in Table 1., all but two students score above the Novice

category in the Intermediate and Advanced categories of language proficiency indicating the ability of

those students to communicate conversationally in Kanyen`keha.

Furthermore, many parents identified their role in the development of language fluency as being vital to

future fluency attainment. Most Kanyen`keha Immersion language programs require parents have a

good level of language proficiency to support their children’s language development (Fulford & Diagle,

2007). In the beginning years of The Everlasting Tree School all parents had good knowledge of the

language and had taken active efforts to learn the language themselves. However, since the school has

grown, many new students do not have the same level of language support in the home. Throughout

the interviews with many of the parents new to the school, the lack of language knowledge in the home

was confessed and many parents admitted the need to learn to support language development of their

child. The Everlasting Tree School has since developed classes for parents to learn Kanyen`keha and

encourage use in the homes of students.

Student 2010 2011 2012 2013

01 Novice Beginner Novice Mid n/a n/a

02 Novice Mid Intermediate Low Intermediate Mid Intermediate Mid

03 Advanced Low Advanced Low Advanced Mid Advanced Mid

04 Novice Beginner Novice High n/a n/a

05 Novice Low Novice Mid Novice Mid Novice Mid

06 Novice High Intermediate Low Intermediate Mid Advanced Low

07 Novice Low Novice High n/a n/a

08 Novice Low Novice Low n/a n/a

09 Novice Beginner Novice Mid Novice Mid Novice Mid

10 Novice Mid Novice High Intermediate Low Intermediate High

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Table 2. ACTFL Proficiency Levels

However, much of the motivation for language learning was also to support the survival of the

Kanyen`keha language in the community.

A parent shared their thoughts on the significance of language maintenance in the community:

Language loss has been documented…in our community and the language is a part of who we

are and if we don’t have the language it is something that is missing from our lives, our spirit.

We just want to be able to have our language to be able to communicate to each other, to

understand our ceremonies, to connect more with our spirit. We’re just doing our part to save

the language (Interview 2).

Indeed, saving the language is seen as a race against time as increasingly, speakers are primarily the

elderly in the community. Littlebear (1996) observes that Indigenous people have nowhere to turn but

their own communities to replenish the pool of language speakers.

Another important measure of success identified by parents and teachers of the school is the

development of the whole child. The Waldorf and Rotinonhsonni educational approaches support the

development of the whole child and are used together in The Everlasting Tree school model of

education. Definitions of the whole child consider the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical

development of children in an atmosphere that is supportive, challenging, and safe (Uptis, 2011).

Indigenous education is also a fully ecological and holistic experience (Baskin, 2006). A strong emphasis

on play and the arts supports whole child development at the school. Particularly in the early years,

significant time is spent outdoors allowing the children to play and be outdoors. In this stage of

development curriculum focuses on learning by movement, active exploration, artistic media and story

time including, nature stories, fairy tales, painting, drawing, modelling, form drawing, handwork

(knitting). The approach is aligned with Rotinonhsonni stories of Ratinakere e:neken - Creation Story in

Sky World (Spirit World) , birth of the twins and the Lacrosse game between the birds & animals. Cajete

(1994:29) shares that this approach is essential writing, “Story, expressed through experience, myth,

parables, and various forms of metaphor is an essential vehicle of Indigenous learning.” Parents found

this approach to be supportive of their child’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development.

Below a mother shares her appreciation for the whole child approach of the school:

Teaching a child how to run and play and teaching himself or herself how to be in himself or

herself how to be happy and a well contented individual now that serves all of us really, really

Level Description of Competencies

Superior Can support opinions, hypothesize, discuss abstract topics and handle a linguistically unfamiliar situation.

Advanced Can narrte and describe in the past, present and future and handle a complicated situational transaction.

Intermediate Can create with language, ask and answer simple questions on familiar topics and handle a simple situation or transaction.

Novice Speech limited to memorized material.

19

well so that specifically it does that, it doesn’t put them into things that they don’t need to be

worried about yet. There are plenty of things for us to be worried about later, you know it’s

giving them that gift allowing them to be children you know and all the wonders that come

along with it that’s really what it’s about. Teaching them the basics of being a human being and

incarnating into the body, and so…it is a lot about the physicality of being from 0-7. Never in

your life do human beings spend so much time being and doing so much growth as quickly as in

the first stage of life. Going from say like this one here a baby just rolling crawling, sitting up,

kneeling, walking, standing, that’s huge never again in your life will you do so much growing in

your life in such a small time period. So really supporting them through their play they will

become into their physical bodies… It really serves the whole child rearing well, but it really

works for me. It works for my own personal values for the things that we talked around food of

course but also just the creativity and the imagination. I feel it’s really, really important to not

push kids into academic work to early… I think if you do that up until at least in early childhood it

serves children so well to be able to spend their entire first stage of their development in an

environment that really is supporting and nurturing their needs up until that point, no academic

work, that’s strong on the warmth and food that restricting media and all those influences.

Really that’s the way it was done not all that long ago, not that everybody had a consciousness

about it but really that’s just the way life was and just as in modern society Haudenosaunee or

not we all have gotten so far away from that (Interview 3).

Like mentioned by above, the whole child approach is seen as highly consistent with Rotinonhson:ni

philosophies of education. The nurturing of all senses through learning how to listen, observe and

experience holistically by creative exploration was a highly valued along with storytelling, oratory, and

song was a basic tool for teaching and learning (Cajete. 1994).

Another parent shared their view on the approach and how it aligns with Indigenous learning styles:

The methodology used is inspired by Waldorf. Its translating the Waldorf curriculum into the

language and utilizing all our own culture, our own traditions, our own stories within the and I

guess the best part behind it is the hands on learning. It’s not just about memorizing and

repetition and things being drilled into your head. It’s more of learning through stories, through

movements, through doing activities, through doing outdoor work and playing outside and

being outside, using your hands and incorporating the language in there. That’s one of the

things about onkwehonwe children, we learn more by doing, than by just sitting and learning

scales and numbers and fractions and that sort of thing (Interview 3).

Furthermore, to support the development of the whole child, a large emphasis is placed on food in the

school. In Waldorf schools, there is a conscious effort to keep school snacks and meals as natural as

possible. The Everlasting Tree School strives to also keep foods served at the school healthy and natural.

Many of the foods served at the school are traditional Rotinonhson:ni foods (wild game, white corn,

beans and squash) and are valued for their sustenance and health promoting qualities. Additionally, the

school planted a garden where students pick vegetables to use in the preparation of meals. The value of

food in Rotinonhson:ni culture is highly regarded. In fact, it is so significant that food is often referred to

as more than simply nourishment but as medicine. For example, the Rotinonhson:ni soak corn in

hardwood ash before cooking it. This process known as nixtimilization and unlocks important vitamins

and nutrients, in addition to imparting medicinal properties. Through natural and healthful diets the

school supports the health and well-being of the whole child. Many parents spoke of their gratitude for

20

the healthful foods provided to their children, and were motivated by the school to strive for a natural

diet in the home as well.

Below a parent shares her appreciation for the healthy foods provided to her child:

I think it’s amazing…he eats way better here than at home because you feel guilty for not having

such a good diet. When they are here, there is never no complaint of I’m hungry or I don’t like.

And the learning, there’s so many studies of other foods kids are eating and what happens to

them so that’s kind of taken away hopefully with the diet they are eating here and

understanding, I think he understands, it’s as traditional as we can get right now like with meats

and how we are eating. He just accepts that and it’s just part of his norm. It’s just awesome I

think. Yah I just think it helps nurture them, then the teachers share when they have Waldorf

helpers in and how you can see if there’s something in an ingredient in the food and how the

kids react to it. It’s just like wow and you feel so fortunate that our diet is so clean as clean as we

can get (Interview 8).

It is evident that Indigenous philosophies of education also encourage the development of the whole

person (Cajete, 1994). In fact, the ultimate goal of Indigenous education was to become a whole or

complete person (Cajete, 1994). The values of The Everlasting Tree School are based upon the

traditional Rotinonhson:ni teachings and are incorporated into teaching methods, content and school

governance. The schools principle Niyohaha:’a means to Follow the Path of the Creator. It is understood

in Rotinonhson:ni teachings that the Creator set out a path for us to explore while here on earth. That

path provides experiences that help us understand how the world works and our place within the world.

The Everlasting Tree School model of education seeks to support each student in walking on the path of

their ancestors to discover their own meaning. Cajete (1994) refers to this journey as seeking life or

finding ones personal medicine. This can be understood as identifying one’s life purpose. This process of

seeking life begins with a deep respect for the spirit of each child from before the moment of birth

(ibid).

When asked about expectations for their child’s education at The Everlasting Tree school, one parent

shared, “just for him to understand him. Get a real sense of himself. I didn’t want him at forty still

searching for something. There probably will be, but a different search” (Interview 8).

By nurturing the whole child, children are able to realize their full potential as human beings. Their

knowledge, talents and gifts are nurtured and encouraged in a safe space allowing them to grow.

Another parent shared how this approach is different than mainstream approaches because it gives

more freedom to students. He states:

I remember…as a student being punished for speaking my mind… being punished because I can’t

sit still and here there’s a little bit more freedom, if they need to get up, they need to get up and

they are doing so many activities that they are expelling that energy. There is freedom to speak

their mind to raise their opinions on things without being ridiculed or having being afraid of

sharing those things because they know they may get in trouble (Interview 2).

In addition to developing the whole child, parents and teachers expressed the development of good

minded children as an expected outcome of the schools educational model. This is in fact an explicit goal

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of the school. Based on the Rotinonhson:ni teaching of the good mind. The Everlasting Tree School holds

Ka’nikonhri:yo – To keep the Good Mind as a guiding principle, expressing, “We will use the Good Mind

in thought, word and action – show respect and fairness to all people.” For the Haudenosaunee the

original instructions set out by the Creator are to live in balance, peace and harmony, expressing

gratitude for all living things (White, 2015). White (2015) shares that, “having a good mind means

moving through life with respect, dignity, honour and responsibility. For Indigenous people, the first

type of thought begins the extension and connections with Nature, people and community” (Cajete,

1994). A good mind is fostered through the development of connections with nature both though

outdoor play, thanksgiving prayers and origin stories and teachings that all serve to reinforce respect

and gratitude for all Creation, balance and harmony with all Creation and our responsibility to all of

Creation.

The Everlasting Tree School strives to foster good minds by also creating a safe, warm and supportive

space for students. Several parents spoke of the peaceful atmosphere of the school and classrooms that

is supported by the teachers.

One parent shared her perception of the school environment:

…the teachers set the tone, so when there’s interactions or your meeting a parent in the hallway

when the little ones are just starting and they don’t know their new, like everybody’s warm, it’s

always a nice warm environment, there’s never no reception at the desk and people are not

coming in, there’s never no anger or nothing… And then when we have gatherings everybody’s

pitching in to do a different duty… I think that’s huge because when they see that sharing

between relationships of their parent to another parent they are like well okay that child means a

little more to me because we are all are under the same school we are under the same roof and

our parents are getting along and working together so we can work together too. Because you see

that in the older grades and they encourage that in the younger grades too, the older ones to help

the younger ones, like it’s their responsibility. It’s always a helping environment it’s not like well

I’m old and your little separation kind of thing and its well you’re older so you have a

responsibility and they seem to really thrive off of that (Interview 8).

Parents were also able to observe good mindedness as an outcome of their children attending the

school.

One parent shares her thoughts on the outcomes of the peaceful and supportive model of education

delivery of the Everlasting Tree School:

…there’s no I’m better than, there is no that’s taken out, although we don’t really allow that to

happen…there’s no real I was bullied, emotion coming from school, there’s no real negative

emotion coming back from school which is, I’m so so grateful for. But yeah, he’s very considerate,

he’s thoughtful like I said I don’t know if that’s but why not take it as part of the school they just

help nurture it here so he brings it home and it stays nurtured there. That it’s okay, emotions are

okay to have I think especially for a male because unfortunately were taught to be tough and

don’t cry and that stuff so (Interview 8).

Another important outcome of The Everlasting Tree School educational model has been the

development of a community of families committed to the preservation of Kanyen`keha language and

22

the fostering of strong, healthy and upstanding Rotinonhson:ni people. Each family interviewed

expressed a passion for providing their children with a strong foundation as a Rotinonhson:ni person.

The common vision of parents, teachers and students facilitates a fluid delivery of curriculum in the day

to day, promoting the overall vision of the school. Often it is a challenge for educators to engage parents

and families in their child’s education however, the holistic approach of the school fosters open

communication, dialogue and unity among the school, students and their families. The dedication of

students and their families is also established with the commitment ceremony conducted at the

beginning of the school year. The ceremony involves the handing over of students to their teachers for

the school year signifying the responsibility of teachers to nurture the growth and learning of each

student.

A parent shares her understanding of the commitment ceremony:

There’s a ceremony when you first start in the beginning of the year, it’s kind of like handing my

child over saying that your responsible, allowing that responsibility to be on them you know to

teach them, to nurture them. And that it is just an emotional, warming. The first year I wasn’t as

sure but as the years go on you begin to understand what that means and it’s just like they are

taking on the responsibility to have the best interests of your child all the time and that’s huge

when you can just have that little ceremony together with you can their teacher and it be yeah

this is really going to be a good year. And then at the end of the year they are like we’ve did what

we could and we are passing them back, it’s like alright. It’s just such a nice interaction; it’s such a

nice exchange (Interview 8).

This commitment ceremony solidifies the relationship between the teacher, school and family. In the

traditional Indigenous community it was the responsibility of the family and the community to support

the education of the children. Cajete (1994) explains that the student's extended family, the clan and

tribe provide the context and source for teaching in the Indigenous context. “In this way, every situation

provided the potential opportunity for learning, and basic education was not separated from the

natural, social, or spiritual aspects of everyday life. Living and learning were fully integrated” (Cajete,

1994:32). With this understanding The Everlasting Tree School works to involve families in every facet of

their child’s education. This includes supporting school meals, attending school functions as well as

participating in curriculum implementation (e.g. outdoor activities, gardening, harvesting and crafts).

Through active family involvement, the school has created an integrated community of learning that

provides a fertile and supportive context for students and their families. Parents, teachers, and policy

makers agree that parent involvement is an essential ingredient to children’s learning. “When parents

are engaged and involved, everyone benefits, and our schools become increasingly rich and positive

places to teach, learn and grow.” (Supporting the Ontario Leadership Strategy, 2012, p. 1). Research has

found students who are supported at home display more positive attitudes about school, better

attendance and behaviour, and increased class preparation (Patrikakou, 2008).

Significant Accomplishments

The ability of the school to continue to grow and expand has been a significant accomplishment for its

founders. Implementing a Kanyen`keha immersion program combined with the innovative vision and

principles of the school is a challenging undertaking. The Everlasting Tree School has maintained their

23

innovative approach to teaching Kanyen`keha throughout the years to carry out the vision of the

school. With little financial support from the community they have succeeded at creating an

environment that supports the healthy development of their students and fosters language

maintenance in the community. Operating outside the mainstream is often very difficult but with vision,

commitment and the support of school families, The Everlasting Tree School continues to grow in

numbers. Furthermore, as evidenced by the data collected in this project, students at the school are

flourishing and parents are satisfied with the not only the level of Kanyen`keha language their children

are developing but also with the environment of the school that fosters good minded thinking,

Haudenosaunee teachings and values, whole child development and a supportive integrated learning

environment.

Challenges

Despite the major accomplishments the school has made in the past 5 years, there remain challenges to

this model of education. First and foremost, acquiring teachers who have a high level of Kanyen`keha

fluency and who are accepting and educated in the Waldorf educational philosophy is challenging.

Furthermore, funding to support the teachers and operations of the school is limited. Secondly, while

the school operates as a independent school, they do not charge parents tuition fees. The school helps

to offset costs through numerous fundraising activities in which the assistance of families is

instrumental. Families are also expected to help through the donation of food or help in preparation of

foods for the meals provided at the school.

Finally, the educational model of the school and expectations for families at the school has not come

without some challenges. The focus on healthy and traditional foods as well as avoidance of media and

clothing requirements can be challenging for some families in today’s society where commercial foods

and media are everywhere.

One of the parents who are also a board member of the school shared the challenges of some of the

school’s expectations:

…people feel like your questioning parenting choices or their lifestyle choices. That certainly

wasn’t our intention but remember that this was a learning process for all of us. We didn’t, I

don’t believe anyone ever meant to offend anyone but we were learning things at the same

time as we were trying to transmit them to parents and families, so for example, things that go

hand in hand with this type of education are food, media and clothing. So we spend far more

time outside than any other school… so in the beginning it took a little more time to remind

parents that your kids may need to have on 3 layers or to have a real good pair of rain boots or

winter boots or they need to have a hat on, regardless of the weather, its either the sun or the

snow or the rain and we are outside regardless so that took maybe just a little more education.

So again when it comes to the mass media stuff it comes down to them not fighting over who

has the better t-shirt Elsa or Ana or whoever it is, it’s not that we don’t think those things should

be enjoyed or like, it’s just that here we have a task that we try to accomplish with the kids and

we are trying to support the teacher so all those little things can be distractions here, and when

we presented to the parents like that a few years ago I remember I saw many light bulbs go off

because it was presented in the way of we are supporting the teachers to support you in

24

educating your children the way we learned it to be best in terms of language and culture. So

any Haudenosaunee education program in my opinion programming central should be food so

we wanted to have snacks for example in the kindergarten because one of the underlying theme

philosophies around Haudenosaunee around food, is sharing food. But this became a big

controversy for awhile in the beginning because we really had to work towards because

remember we really didn’t have any heat or running water in the beginning so anything we had

it was that we made at home and brought it in. So by time we moved into this building we had

every meal, every lunch every snack provided every day. Pretty monumental I think, not without

some problems… I think it took a lot of effort. (Interview 5).

Despite these challenges, most parents have taken on the responsibility to support their children in this

educational model of learning and growing. Indeed, healthy and traditional foods continues to be a

major feature of the whole child educational approach of the school and is increasingly appreciated and

supported by families both at the school and in the child’s home.

Next Steps

As the school continues to grow both in numbers and in capacity to support Kanyen`keha language

development, increasing costs will necessitate further financial support. Presently, the school is

supported by a private funder in the community and small grants to help cover the many costs.

However, there is an expressed desire to grow the school to offering classes for older children as the

school presently only offers the early years class (pre-k to kindergarten), the primary class

(approximately Grade 1-3) and the junior class (approximately Grades 4-5). To expand the school’s

classroom, considerable financial support would be needed. Increased financial support is also

important to securing qualified teachers and offering training for teachers at the school. The school

administration continues to seek out funding sources and supports from Six Nations Language

Commission and the federal Ministry of Canada Heritage. Additionally, to support language fluency

goals for students, the school recognizes the need to support language learning in the home. Recently,

teachers have begun to offer classes for parents and will continue to develop these educational

opportunities for families of the school.

School Information

For more information about The Everlasting Tree School visit: www.everlastingtree.org/ or email:

info@everlastingtree.org.

25

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