The meeting was held at Wanuskewin Heritage Park outside of Saskatoon , Canada . It gathered together academics with aboriginal backgrounds and activists on aboriginal issues in order to combine the knowledge and the best practices of participants for the purpose of development of the APA curriculum. The Director of the APA program, Anna Hunter, pointed out that her vision of APA is one of practical knowledge. Such questions as “What is needed in aboriginal communities?” and “What should someone whom, upon graduation, will work with indigenous communities know?” are the most pressing. The meeting included presentations and brainstorming sessions where participants had a chance to analyze the curriculum and share their ideas on what should be added to the modules, what issues should be discussed in more detail, and what textbooks or authors would be useful for the courses.
In addition to the discussion of the APA curriculum, the participants had a chance to go on a tour of Wanuskewin site, visit its museum and watch a ten minute video on the history and cultural significance of this enigmatic place. It was not a coincidence that Wanuskewin had been chosen for the purpose of this meeting. It carries a spirit of indigenous past. It was a place for worship and celebrations, a place, where aboriginal ancestors have gathered for more than 6,000 years.
For more information about the history of this unique ancient site visit Wanuskewin website at http://www.wanuskewin.com/History.aspx