Students at the local high school could get an education in the importance of First Nations drumming next year.
Merritt Secondary School vice-principal Karen Goetz presented the course Heartbeat of the Nicola Valley to the school board at its regular meeting on Jan. 16.
If the board approves the course at its next board meeting in February, the class will be offered at MSS next year.
The Grade 11 fine arts option is a requirement for graduation, and the drumming course would continue the district’s trend toward offering First Nations courses, Goetz told the board.
The addition of this course would bring the number of First Nations perspective courses offered at MSS to 13, Goetz said.
“There’s a potential for a student to get their education through MSS very much with a First Nations perspective all the way through, from [Grade] 8 to 12,” she said. “I think that’s kind of neat.”
It also complements the Ministry of Education’s focus on First Nations-integrated courses.
“It certainly supports the enhancement agreement that we’ve got in place,” she said.
The course was developed by Goetz and district aboriginal principal Shelley Oppenheim-Lacerte with input from First Nations support worker Tim Manuel.
In the draft rubric provided to the board, students would be assessed on knowledge of songs and their stories; knowledge of protocols; creating; and recognizing the importance of music to First Nations cultures, among other measures.
As in any music course, performing and sharing their progress will be part of the evaluation as well, Goetz said.
Students will not make their own drums in the course, but the significance of drum-making will come into play, she said.
“This course is not about students making drums, but to learn about the process, to learn what is involved, is definitely part of what’s going on,” Goetz said, adding making rattle sets might be more feasible.
The proposal for the course will come back to the school board for final approval at its February meeting in Princeton.
