By: Butch Rabasto
For more than 2 decades, George Knott School has served as a beacon for learning to the Wasagamack community. There are a lot of memories to cherish with the events that served as benchmarks and milestones achieved by its students within and outside the confines of the school. The school year 2020-2021 marked the final curtain for George Knott School to render its final bow to give way to a new school to continue the noble work it has started and passing the baton of education and learning to Wasagamack First Nation School. This is a milestone for everyone to see and experience… a new era in 2022 at the turn of the New Year.
The Wasagamack First Nation School started its maiden voyage to embrace the school term 2021-2022 amidst the unpredictable current of COVID-19 global pandemic. Wasagamack First Nation community is truly blessed to be one of the recipients of Manitoba Schools Initiative in the Island Lake location duly funded by the Federal government.
In the words of the Honourable Jane Philpott, P.C., M.P., Minister of Indigenous Services, she said:
“Modern school facilities are essential to providing First Nation students with the best possible learning experience. Indigenous Services Canada is proud to partner with Bunibonibee Cree Nation, God's Lake First Nation, Manto Sipi Cree Nation, and Wasagamack First Nation to invest nearly $250 million for the construction of new school facilities. This investment also means that K-12 education will be available in all four communities so that students will not have to leave in order to complete high school.”
As we stand in front of our new school, we are now here to see the realization of this initiative. We have witnessed the action that took place as time passed by. Finally, we have set our foot on the finished school building equipped with modern infrastructure, facilities and state-of-the-art equipment conducive to create friendly learning environment. This is a very much needed motivation to all the indigenous communities aforementioned to boost their social and cultural development.
Wasagamack First Nation School seeks to forge a promising path and build a place of learning life skills with opportunities for students to prosper.
Currently, the school has a population of over 500 students from nursery to Grade 12, and has made traditional learning a part of the school curricula. The language and culture program includes a guidance program component within the classroom that is inclusive of traditional values and teachings of the Elders. It will continue what George Knott School has started since the 70's serving as a role model to the community under the umbrella of the Wasagamack Education Authority.
The old school, George Knott School was named after a former Chief, who belonged to one of the 11 families who formed Wasagamack First Nation. Wasagamack or Waasagomach is a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is a settlement of the Wasagamack First Nation located on the western shore of Island Lake on Waasagomach Bay north of St. Theresa Point.
Wasagamack First Nation used to belong to the Island Lake Band, which consisted of four communities: Garden Hill, Wasagamack, St. Theresa Point and Red Sucker Lake. Wasagamack is a signatory to the 1909 adhesion Treaty No. 5. The main dialect is Oji-Cree, however English has also become part of the everyday language.
Wasagamack is located 610 kilometers Northeast of Winnipeg. The community is accessible by plane and boat in the summer and by winter road in the winter.
The Wasagamack First Nation office is in the north end of the community. Council consists of one Chief and three Councilors, elected according to Band custom. Political affiliations are with the Island Lake Tribal Council (ILTC), Manitoba Keewatinohk Okimahkanak (MKO), Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) and Indian and Northern Affairs (INAC).
The Wasagamack First Nation administers the following programs: