Connecting the Dots

The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) oversees 39 elementary schools and serves eight counties throughout urban and rural areas of Ontario.

Despite the sizeable area the CDSBEO covers, many rural schools still struggle to connect with Indigenous communities, reach youth and provide culturally grounded education.

Recognizing this gap, the CDSBEO Board is enhancing education on Wampum Belts; Indigenous ceremonial beaded belts representing historical treaties, laws and societal rules passed down through generations. Education will include the Two Row Wampum, Dish with One Spoon, Hiawatha and the Two Wolf Wampum. All elementary schools will also be provided with the Biinaagami Giant Floor Map from Canadian Geographic. This educational tool connects the watershed with Indigenous teachings and ways of knowing through augmented reality storytelling. Going far beyond geography, these maps bring to life teachings about treaties, language, water and land, all shared in the voices of Elders and Knowledge Keepers. 

With the project already underway, the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) has supported CDSBEO in using the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada in classrooms, growing from just one map in 2021 to twelve by 2024. Starting in September 2025, the next step will be to bring a Biinaagami map into every elementary school over the next five years, ensuring students across the region have equal access to culturally grounded learning. With these maps in place, every school will become a place where Indigenous stories are seen, heard and respected.

Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall