Teachers and Elders from Garden Hill, Manitoba, are invited to attend a major education conference in Winnipeg this spring to help bring more local culture and language into their classrooms.
The Lighting the Fire 2026 conference will take place from May 6, 2026, to May 8, 2026. It is hosted by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Convention Centre.
This year’s theme is “First Nations Education: Our Stories.” The event focuses on using oral traditions and storytelling to help students learn about their heritage and strengthen their identity.
According to the Resource Centre, the conference aims to fix the damage caused by residential schools, which often stopped traditional knowledge from being passed down. Participants will learn specific ways to teach local languages and bring culturally relevant lessons back to their schools.
Educators and community leaders from Garden Hill will be able to use these strategies to improve local language programs. These sessions are designed to help make sure students stay connected to their history and community values.
