Cree students made a big impression at the Quebec Indigenous Science Fair held in Gatineau March 19-21. Seven young scientists from the Cree School Board advanced from the regional fair in Mistissini a few weeks earlier to participate in the event.
“Our CSB participants make us all so proud with their hard work, perseverance and their amazing science projects,” declared school board chairperson Sarah Pash. “These students have spent months preparing, developing and finalizing their projects. They are smart, empowered, brave and well-grounded young people with bright futures in front of them!”
Kristopher Neeposh and Rory Henry-Felstead from Nemaska won first place in the Secondary 4/5 category for their project titled, “Plants can start fires, but can they stop them?” Inspired by last summer’s forest fires to seek natural solutions from the land, they explored the fire-mitigating potential of white and black spruce, jack pine and Labrador tea.
“We wanted to find a natural way to reduce fires,” 16-year-old Neeposh told the Nation. “We extracted the fire-retardant properties by collecting the leaves and needles from the plants and using 99% alcohol. We had to strain the liquid, dry it out and coat it onto plywood, paper and canvas.”
The pair researched plant properties in articles and interviewed knowledge keepers like Neeposh’s grandfather Steven Neeposh and their Cree culture teacher, Charles Cheezo. They found that jack pine extract consistently slowed the spread of flames more than the other plants – even out-performing ammonium sulfate, a commercial fire retardant.
“We found it might be better for fire-proof clothing or the canvas or tarps on teepees because sometimes sparks will burn holes,” explained Henry-Felstead. “We’re going to do more tests to see how consistently it works and what kinds of materials it works on. We might add something like cloth made from cotton or plastic tarps.”
After winning second place at last year’s provincial competition, Neeposh and Henry-Felstead intend to do even better in their final year of high school. Unfortunately, they weren’t selected to advance to this year’s Canada-Wide Science Fair later this spring. Last year, Malachi Coonishish from Ouje-Bougoumou earned the Renewable Energy Award at the nationals.
Among other Cree contestants, Chisasibi’s Henry Grimstead examined which cabin building materials were more fire-retardant. Meanwhile, Sief Malkawi examined how traditional medicines can support modern practices.
Nemaska’s Abigail Mianscum and Leah Pash tested the influence of temperature on air density in their project “Helium Rising.” Mistissini Grade 6 student Caleb Coon Come presented a unique project looking at how container size affected the projection of foam in elephant toothpaste.
Cree-Mohawk Grade 5 student Kiyedinaci Ottereyes-Lahache represented Kahnawake and Waswanipi with his project “The Sense of Scents.” Dressed in a dapper suit and personable with the judges, Ottereyes-Lahache won his category and took home the overall communications award with a combined prize of $1,000.
“When he walks in a room, he wants to be the centre of attention,” explained his mother, Dawn Ottereyes. “With hard work and linking his interests he was able to showcase his strengths. He’s been very passionate about colognes.”
To earn more money to purchase colognes, Ottereyes-Lahache helped his mother with a nature journal initiative for her work as a consultant for the CSB. His winning project examined the difference between natural and synthetic scents and found they last longer with lotion.
Ottereyes-Lahache said everyone at school is calling him “the champ and the king.” Saying that the education system can sometimes be discouraging for children with different talents, his mother is proud that her son has found his niche.
“I see children not feel that they can excel in all areas, and it dampens their excitement to learn,” said Ottereyes. “Science is a way for him to express himself and really take charge in his learning. He was able to show others what we see, find his space where he can shine.”
As an event bringing together budding scientists from Indigenous communities around Quebec, the fair was also an opportunity for Ottereyes-Lahache to make Cree friends. Pash was impressed by the supportive network that developed.
“They all cheered each other on and encouraged each other,” Pash recalled. “It was so exciting to see our students represent all of us and themselves in that calibre of a forum. Their presentations were so inspirational in the potential they showed for their own future.”
Recognizing that the Cree Nation’s growth depends on developing students with a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) focus, the CSB has introduced higher math and science courses for older students interested in those postsecondary pathways.
The Elephant Thoughts program engages younger students in scientific activities with a unique mix of Indigenous culture, academics and exploration. To empower greater healthcare independence in the region, the CSB is implementing preparation for nursing programs with a significant scientific component.
“I hope our postsecondary students think about getting a teaching qualification and come back to inspire our secondary students,” said Pash. “We know for Indigenous students seeing themselves reflected in their teachers is very important. We’re at a point in our decolonizing journey as an education system of ensuring we are represented.”
Pash expects the CSB’s Iiyiyiuiyihtiwin Research & Development department to expand its integration of Cree culture and language into math and science courses. With Whapmagoostui hosting next year’s Quebec Indigenous Science Fair, she wants students to remember that they come from a long line of scientists and researchers.
“Innovation and adaptation have been key to our survival and ability to thrive in our territory,” asserted Pash. “We’ve developed our own technologies and medicines. We call it traditional knowledge, but it is our ancestors’ scientific knowledge passed down through generations of observation and experimentation out on the land.”
by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter