Fire Fridays at Senpaq’cin School

Leah Powder is a coordinator with the Health Promotions School team and teaches food literacy. In 2022, she attended the inaugural Interior Region Indigenous Food Forum in Osoyoos. She came away with ideas to grow and expand the existing Fire Friday program.

“I started thinking about how we could build on our current program by weaving in more traditional foods, food literacy and teachings about food sovereignty that truly reflect who we are.”

She presented her ideas to the school’s principal, Julie Shaw, who immediately gave Leah the go-ahead.  

“For me, it’s about our students knowing they have the right to say, ‘I want to harvest this food. I want to eat this food. I want to know where it comes from.’ That connection to food and the land is part of our identity.”

Leah and her colleagues brought in community members and Knowledge Keepers to help. Bit by bit, Fire Fridays started to take shape and become a place where students are immersed in culture, language and food.

Food literacy is a key health focus at Senpaq’cin. Leah is leading this work with the support of Interior Health (IH) and a team of colleagues, who teach language and culture. 

“For me, the connection between cultural teachings, land-based learning and health is everything,” Leah says.

Her colleagues include Levi Bent, a fluent speaker, Indigenous language activist, and Knowledge Keeper, as well as Knowledge Keeper Trenton Marion Manossa-Gabriel, a member of the Osoyoos Indian Band, drummer, and fellow language activist. Both play a vital role in the Fire Fridays program. 

“Without their guidance, their language teachings, and syilx cultural grounding, the program would not be possible,” notes Leah. “As a guest on their land, I recognize that their combined leadership is essential to ensuring this work is carried out in a respectful and culturally appropriate way.”

Since its launch, the program’s growth has been remarkable. “The progress we’ve seen over the past four years has been amazing,” Leah shares. “The majority of my Grade 5, 6 and 7 students know that the internal cooking temperature of chicken is 165°F, something some adults don’t know! They can follow recipes, measure ingredients, and make full meals from scratch.”

Students’ confidence and curiosity have grown alongside their skills. “The students are so proud of themselves,” she says. “My goal is for them to be able to cook a meal from start to finish by the time they leave elementary school.

“We focus on eating things they normally wouldn’t eat and cooking from scratch when we can,” adds Leah. “We talk about local food and our supply chain. We have conversations that lead to an understanding of where food comes from, how to harvest it, and how to process it.”

Leah also focuses on food sovereignty. “I want them to know what they can harvest, eat and recognize spruce tip tea is good for you, and that fir boughs can make a soft bed. It’s about knowing the land and knowing that it provides for us.”

Leah dreams of seeing Fire Fridays expand to all reserve schools. “It’s a powerful model for connecting culture, food and community,” she explains. “My goal is to make it more sustainable so it can continue to grow, even when I’m not there.”

For those interested in creating a program like Fire Fridays, she advises that it's important to build a strong team and be clear about your goals. Let what matters most—whether culture, cooking or land-based learning—guide the work. 

“Our entire team at Senpaq'cin School is on board and supportive of the success of our program,” notes Leah.

The IH Healthy Eating and Food Security team is available to support school districts to integrate food literacy into classroom activities. The team can also support districts to create nutritious, stigma-free meal programs, and foster positive school food environments. 

This article was written by Leah Perrier who is a Public Health Dietitian with IH’s Healthy Eating and Food Security team. A mom to two teens, she enjoys spending time outdoors being active and is passionate about promoting health and well-being.

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