It is an exciting day for St. Frances Cree Bilingual School, as they will officially have a new name moving forward.
The school will be renamed awâsisak kâ-nîmîhtocik – St. Francis School
The name translates to “the children that dance.”
“The name is not only about those current students, but for us to think about those who came before us, and especially about those who went to residential schools and never came home,” said Elder Mary Lee.
“It’s through the spirit of dancing that current and future students will be able to honour them. It reminds us about what the children will have and that they be able to talk about things we once were not able to talk about. It’s an opportunity for healing.”
Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools said this change comes after months of consultations.
Kelly Cardinal, the superintendent of learning services, said the name more accurately reflects the school’s core values.
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“awâsisakkâ speaks to the children and the youth that we hope to nurture and care for at the school,” Cardinal said. “kâ-nîmîhtocik speaks to the northern lights. According to traditional teachings, when we reference the northern lights we are also speaking to the ancestors and those that walked before us.”
The school is also being designed to include different Cree elements like the front courtyard.
It acts as an outdoor gathering space allowing the school to host cultural ceremonies like mini powwows and round dances.
“The new school represents a new beginning in so many ways,” Diane Boyko, the GSCS Board of Education Chair said.
“Cree language and cultural programming at St. Frances has been part of our division’s journey toward reconciliation for years. The new building will be a very real representation of our commitment to helping Indigenous students and staff reclaim and rebuild their language, culture and heritage. It just seems right that the school’s name would reflect those realities.”
Cree language and cultural programming at St. Frances began in 2007, with a partnership with Saskatoon Tribal Council. It has grown to the largest Indigenous language program in Canada with over 600 students from over 50 neighbourhoods and communities, according to the GSCS.
Funding for a replacement school was announced in 2018, and construction began on the corner of 7th Street East and Grosvenor Avenue in the summer of 2023.
Cardinal also mentioned there is already a ton of interest in the new school from the community. They hope it will pave the way for more Indigenous language schools like it in the future.
The new school is still under construction and is expected to officially open for learning in the fall of 2025.
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