The County of Grande Prairie provided a $5,000 grant to an organization that seeks to provide signage and educational programming about Indigenous history, into outdoor parks and trails in the region.
Reeve Leanne Beaupre says the “In My Backyard Project”, presented by Katherine Weber and Joselyn Dueck presented at recent meeting of council, will help identify and eliminate gaps about the local history of Indigenous peoples with signage and artwork throughout Kleskun Hills and Pipestone Creek areas.
“I think that people see the needs of areas in the County of Grande Prairie and the City of Grande Prairie but they don’t truly understand the significance of the name behind it.”
“This signage and some of the artwork (from my understanding) will really explain the importance and the heritage behind the naming of some of these parks and trails,” she says.
The project is also set to help tell Indigenous stories that have been passed down from generations through verbal-only storytelling. Beaupre says she believes it’s important to appreciate the stories that are found in your own backyard.
“I think that’s important to understand too, is that some of that is not lost on non-indigenous people as well.”
The $5,000 County of Grande Prairie Grant, will help pay for some of the signage and educational programming for the In My Backyard Project.