Graduation from high school and elementary school in Attawapiskat this year is taking place despite a more or less chaotic situation. The chaos comes as a direct result of an environmental disaster that has closed the J.R. Nakogee Elementary School and disrupted the regular schedule at Vezina Secondary School.
For weeks now elementary school children have been banned from attending the elementary school. To ensure proper closure for the end of the school year it was necessary for the elementary school to attend classes at the secondary school. To accomplish this, schedules were turned upside down with elementary classes running in the high school from early in the morning to the afternoon and high school classes taking place in the afternoon and into the evening. Some elementary classes were actually held in teacher’s homes. My cousin Steve Kataquapit, who is a teacher at J.R. Nakogee Elementary School, managed to teach his elementary school class in his home environment.
Obviously, this has been a very difficult year for all of those involved in education in Attawapiskat. My sympathy goes out to all those people who have had their lives disrupted due to the fact that J.R. Nakogee Elementary School has been found to be contaminated. This contamination resulted from years of heating oil leakage into the soil at and around the J.R. Nakogee Elementary School. Although reports had concluded that something should be done to remedy this situation in regards to protecting the health and safety of teachers and students it took a long time and a lot of community action to develop a solution. The Chief and Council, the Education Authority, school administrations, teachers and staff members, students and most of all parents should be proud of all the good work they did in bringing this issue to a head with the development of positive options. Plans are in motion now to produce temporary safe classrooms for the next school year.
Despite all the extra stress and pressure surrounding this year’s high and elementary school graduates, I am happy to report that the end of the school year has wrapped up with much success and all is well.
My brother Paul was among those who graduated from Vezina Secondary School. The entire family is very proud of Paul for this achievement. The community on the whole takes graduation very seriously. Only a few years ago many First Nation people were dropping out of school and only a small number were actually graduating from secondary school. Since the construction of Vezina Secondary School in the early 1990’s more young people are graduating in Attawapiskat. Before the development of Vezina Secondary School it was necessary for all students to move out of the community to attend high schools in the south.
I am happy to shine the spot light on our very deserving graduates in Attawapiskat. Secondary School graduates for the year 1999/2000 are: Jason Hookimaw, Greg Edwards, Paul Kataquapit, Mary Beth Sutherland, Jennifer Sutherland, Violet Tookate and Bernice Fireman. J.R. Nakogee Elementary School graduates for the year 1999/2000 are: Jeremy Bird, Jordan Edwards, Larry Edwards, Marcella Hookimaw, Olivia Hookimaw, Stewart Hookimaw, Marietta Iahtail, Carlos Kataquapit, Robin Kioke, Beatrice Koosees, George Koostachin, Sylvina Koostachin, Lawrence Noah, Cindy Paulmartin, Tina Paulmartin, Raymond Tippeneskum, Georgina Wesley, Valerie Wesley and Victor Wesley. Although I don’t have space to publish the names of the Kindergarten School graduates for the year 1999/2000, I also wish them congratulations.