Northern Educator Wins Award

Amanda Mallon, President of the Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association (NWTTA), presented Tammy Steinwand, Vice-Principal of Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School, NT with the NWTTA Aboriginal Education Award at a ceremony held at Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School on February 24, 2006.

The Aboriginal Educator’s award is designed to recognize Northwest Territories Teachers’ Association (NWTTA) educators who have displayed a strong belief in aboriginal education, have been a personal supporter of education and have gained respect in their community by their efforts.

Tammy Steinwand is truly a homegrown NWT educator. She was born and raised in Rae Edzo 35 years ago. She is the mother of two daughters, Tyanna (14) and Arianna (8) Steinwand. Tammy celebrated her marriage to Frank this last summer.

She is a graduate of Ecole Sir John Franklin and the Kwatinde Teacher Education Program. A love of learning and sharing knowledge has always been part of Tammy’s life; helping younger siblings and her classmates with their homework just came naturally. “I always tried to visualize how students understood and then looked for different ways of explaining the concepts.”

Tammy’s move to the University of Saskatchewan after two years of teaching demonstrates the determination she brings to her career. “Having grown up in Rae-Edzo, I wanted to prove that I could do it. I also wanted my daughters to see me achieve this goal.” Tammy received her B. Ed with Great Distinction from the University of Saskatchewan in 1997. She has been working at the Tlicho Community Board Agency for over ten years, taught for seven years, the past four in administration as Vice-Principal of Chief Jimmy Bruneau School.

Tammy believes strongly that parents are the first teachers of their children, a role which has great impact on their future development. She also believes that the language and culture of the community must play an integral part in the day-to-day life of the school.

Tammy can read and write Dogrib and encourages the non-native staff to learn and speak Dogrib. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment has invited Tammy to participate in a number of Dene Kede workshops appreciating her input of ideas and wealth of experiences. She assisted with the development of the Dogrib Dictionary. She enjoys translating for students, teachers and elders from the community and often served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Sunday Church services in Dogrib.

Preserving the traditional ways is important at Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School. Tammy is a very strong advocate for her culture at the school, regional, territorial and national level. She is the coordinator of the Dogrib Language and Culture Programs at Chief Jimmy Bruneau. In this job some of her many responsibilities involve making setting and checking rabbit snares and fish nets, setting up caribou hunts, identifying traditional uses for plants and animals, showing respect for the land and animals.

The school has its own trapline and Tammy was instrumental in assisting the students with the construction of a new cabin. Once a week, students check traps and fish nets. They also learn how to skin rabbits and clean fish. Money earned from furs helps fund other activities.

Some students will drift away from the classroom, says Steinwand, but they always return for the outdoor programs. “When they hear the class is going out in the bush, they’re here,” she says.

Tammy chaperoned the Chief Jimmy Bruneau High School Drummers on a trip to Toronto where they performed in many different venues around the city. She has hosted many southern and international students through the Rotary Club where the students learn about the Dogrib culture and eat traditional foods.

One of her favorite activities is to be ‘on the land’ and she loves learning new bush skills. She’s been a winner in the snowshoe races in the Rae Carnival. She has completed four trails of our Ancestors Canoe trips within the Tlicho region.

Tammy is also a writer. She has been given an honourable mention in the 2002 NWT Literacy Writing Contest. She also contributes regularly to the NWT Literacy Newsletter with her a recent article entitled Jimmy Bruneau School Culture and Language Program published February 2005.