About Our School

The name Kiizhik School (Gaagagekiizhik GaKinoo’amaawadiiwi’gamig GaKinoo’amaawasowin) was determined at an Anishinaabe ceremony and symbolizes the sky, cedar, and learning lodge – all of which hold a cultural meaning in Anishinaabe culture.

Kiizhik school opened its doors in September 2015 with 15 children from Kindergarten to Year 2 after negotiations by the Bimose Tribal council in Kenora with provincial education authorities to open the first school of its kind in Ontario.  In 2019, we have grown to now offer classes up to grade 7; it is our goal that we can begin adding new grades each year of operation.

Our registered students come from the surrounding communities: Ochichaagwe’Babigo’Inning (Dalles), Grassy Narrows, Naotkamegwanning (Whitefish Bay) First Nation, Northwest Angle 33, Iskatewizaagegan (Shoal Lake #39), Obashkandagaang (Wasagamis Bay) and Wauzhushk Onigum (Rat Portage) First Nations.

Kiizhik School started with a vision, and with time and dedication from Bimose Tribal Council, and the help the partnerships we have developed over our journey, the vision of Kiizhik became a reality – opening its doors and becoming a historical event in the efforts to preserve the Anishinaabe Culture through learning.