Montana Band opens school

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Under the budget and ahead of schedule, the Meskanahk Ka-Nipa-Wit School on the Montana reserve opened its doors for the first day of classes, Monday, March 3. The $4.5-million project, funded trough Indian affairs and the Montana Band, welcomed more than 130 students into its gathering circle to burn Sweetgrass, pray and begin a new era in education in this community.

"It has been a long time coming," said Darrell Strongman, Band Councilor with the education portfolio. "I am a scholar from the old school. The new school is quite spectacular."

Indeed, the new school was well needed for the estimated 137 students. The existing Montana school is a sad collection of four old wood buildings that have been condemned for more than two years.

"Lack of a fire-escape, sewer problems and the small size of the existing school were all problems,"" said Barbara Currie, director of education for the band. Currie said some of the old buildings were never intended for a school but were simply converted to classrooms, as the space was required.

The push for a new school reached its apex in 1994 after Eunice Louis and Martian Buffalo completed a feasible study for the band council, said Currie. She said that Indian Affairs had the school ear marked as top priority.

A building committee- comprised of Alice Currie, JoAnn Louis, Bryan Mackinnon, Melvin Potts and Barbara Currie- was then formed.

"We then carefully screened architects and tendered the school design to five companies," said Currie. Workun Garrick Architects & Associates Inc. of Edmonton submitted the winning tender.

"We had a lot of meetings with the building committee," said Morely Workun, one of the architects responsible for the final design. "We give them a lot of credit. It is a very exciting building with string elements of culture."

The school has reached completion in a short period- the sod was turned in the spring of 1996. Now, with school running fulltime, there are only minor areas still awaiting attention.

The school cafeteria is approximately three weeks from operation and there are other small details to be attended to. But the completion of Meskanahk Ka-Nipa-Wit School is tremendous jump from the old Montana school. It is a jump that some 137 students have been waiting forfor a long time.