At Nelson McIntyre Collegiate (NMC), learning doesn’t always happen within four classroom walls. Sometimes, it begins with a fishing rod, a frozen river, and a shared meal cooked over the open air. Something we refer to as “Skip the Fishes.”

This year, after receiving a grant from Indigenous Foodways, the school launched an angling club with a purpose that reaches far beyond recreation. Rooted in food sustainability, Indigenous traditional harvesting practices, and hands-on land-based learning, the club is helping students connect with waterways in Manitoba and with one another in meaningful and lasting ways

Casting the First Line

We began with lunch-and-learn sessions where students learned about fishing safety, handling of rods and reels, and two-eyed seeing approaches to harvesting and land-management.

These sessions built knowledge and confidence. For many students, this was their first exposure to fishing, especially on ice.

Learning on the Land

With guidance and support from the school division Indigenous Learning Team, the club extended its classroom to the outdoors ventured onto the Red River. They drilled holes, set up tents, put tobacco down, and worked together. They learned how to safely catch fish, fillet, prepare and cook their harvest. This experience transformed abstract lessons about sustainability into something tangible and unforgettable.

Each outing reinforces the importance of land stewardship. Students are gaining an understanding of our responsibility to The Land and water and learning ways to honour them as sacred, providing for all life.

Honouring History and Tradition

The angling club has started learning the historical and cultural significance of waterways in Treaty One Territory and in the homeland of the Métis Nation.

Mentorship and Community

An important part of the club’s vision is mentorship. NMC students are guiding younger LRSD students by helping them build skills, confidence and a love for fishing and The Land. Students are not just learning skills — they are becoming leaders.

More Than Fishing

At Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, education is more than textbooks. It’s about understanding where our food comes from, respecting The Land, and carrying forward knowledge that connects past, present, and future, one cast at a time.

Submitted by: Melanie Kapilik, CLW Nelson McIntyre Collegiate & Tammy Bruce, CLW Indigenous Learning Team