As part of the biennial Discover Japan Language and Culture Program, students took on the role of international ambassadors participating in two cultural exchanges with high school students from Fujioka and Kyoto. The delegation visited Fujioka, Regina’s friendship city, on their 70th anniversary carrying with them congratulatory messages from Mayor Masters of Regina to Mayor Arai of Fujioka.
Each of the students also carried several children’s books with them as part of an ongoing international book exchange between the cities. The English books are added to bins of travelling libraries that rotate between Fujioka’s elementary schools. The Japanese books that returned to Regina will be placed in Saskatchewan’s Information Library Service so they may be accessed from any library in the province.
The students participated in cultural exchange activities with their counterparts in Fujioka and Kyoto Koka High School. They lead with open hearts and minds and did an amazing job representing their communities, our province, and our country.
Six students from Bert Fox Community High School showcased Indigenous culture through a presentation and demonstration of powwow dances. The students brought their regalia all the way to Japan to demonstrate fancy, jingle, traditional, and a hat and boots special dances on behalf of their cultures. This was an incredibly powerful moment to pause and consider the similar ways each government has treated Indigenous people and the collective responsibilities to work towards reconciliation.