It started with a simple question: why is it so hard to find cedar when we need it most? That moment of reflection has since grown into something far more meaningful at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, an act of learning, connection, and reconciliation that will continue to shape the school for generations.
This spring, students, staff, and community partners came together to plant more than 100 cedar seedlings across the school grounds. What might appear at first glance as a landscaping project quickly revealed itself as something deeper: a hands-on opportunity to learn from the land and honour Indigenous teachings.
“For quite some time now, we’ve been trying to secure cedar trees or seedlings to plant on our property,” shared Kathleen Holmstrom, First Nation Métis & Inuit Graduation Coach. “When we couldn’t find cedar branches for our Fall Feast, it really highlighted the need for us to do something different.”
That realization sparked action. After reaching out to local organizations, Miisun Integrated Resource Management Co. stepped forward, donating the seedlings and providing the tools needed to make the planting possible. From there, the vision grew into a collaborative experience rooted in both environmental stewardship and cultural learning.
Rooted In Meaning and Intention
Each tree was planted with care and purpose. Cedars were placed at the front of the school to create a sense of welcome and protection, while others were planted at the four corners of the soccer field, aligned with the four directions: East, South, West, and North.
This placement reflects the teachings of the Medicine Wheel, symbolizing balance, interconnectedness, and the cycles of life. In doing so, a familiar space has been transformed. The soccer field remains a place for sport and activity, but it now also carries cultural and spiritual significance for the school community.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
For students, the experience offered far more than a lesson in planting trees. It became an opportunity to engage in “two-eyed seeing”, bringing together Western scientific understanding with Indigenous ways of knowing.
They learned about cedar not only as a species, but as a “Tree of Life,” often referred to as a Grandmother in Indigenous teachings, offering medicine, protection, and spiritual cleansing. Through this lens, students were invited to see themselves not as separate from nature, but as part of it.
“Students will gain a hands-on understanding of Indigenous cultures while building personal responsibility and environmental stewardship,” Kathleen explained. “By caring for these trees, they’re leaving a legacy that will protect and green the campus for future generations.”
Guided by Culture and Community
A defining moment of the day was the blessing led by Elder Jeanette Skead of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation. Her presence and guidance brought a deeper layer of meaning to the experience, grounding the planting in Indigenous knowledge and tradition.
Through the blessing, students were encouraged to see the cedar trees as living beings, relatives and protectors within the school community. Elder Jeanette also shared the importance of Seven Generations thinking, reminding students that their actions today will have lasting impacts far into the future.
What began as a planting activity became, in that moment, an act of respect, reflection, and intergenerational learning.
A Legacy That Will Grow
As the cedar trees take root and flourish, so too will their significance. They will stand as a visible and living symbol of reconciliation, cultural safety, and community connection at St. Thomas Aquinas High School.
In the years ahead, they will provide shade, beauty, and an outdoor classroom where students can continue to learn from the land. More importantly, they will serve as a daily reminder of shared responsibility, to care for one another, to respect the land, and to nurture relationships that sustain both.
Through this initiative, students have done more than plant trees. They have contributed to a living legacy, one grounded in respect, guided by culture, and growing with every passing season.