The Power of Play
Story by: ELLISPark.co I Oct 10, 2023
For Dale Plett, project office manager of Orillia Native Women’s Group (ONWG), one of the most rewarding things about working with the not-for-profit organization is helping people from all walks of life develop new skills. With a background in sports and recreation, Plett actively champions the importance of movement – something that carries significant benefits for both children and their families. "So many of our kids are far behind in a lot of different things, and it's no fault of their own," she says, explaining that the pandemic ushered in unique challenges, particularly when it came to nurturing children's physical literacy. “One of the things that we've done is try to find different ways to get people to move their bodies, because we haven't really had the chance to do that in the last two and a half years,” says Plett.
A recent initiative is a year-round family swim lesson program. “We live in Orillia, so we're surrounded by lakes,” Plett says. “Swimming is a life skill, so to be able to expose our children to water and water safety is a good first step.” ONWG worked closely with the city of Orillia, Ont., to develop the curriculum, which is intended to encourage confidence in movement for everyone involved.
Beyond health and developmental benefits, exploring physical literacy through play is integral to Indigenous culture. As winter approaches, the team at ONWG organizes traditional games and sacred ceremonies for community members. “After we've harvested and hunted [to prepare] for the winter months, that's when we come together. We sing our songs, we share our stories and play our games,” says Plett. “We brought in knowledge keepers to teach our community how to do Powwow dancing,” she adds, highlighting the importance of offering programs that combine community engagement with an active lifestyle.
These joyful moments are a great opportunity to connect children and parents with the community’s elders. “We put a lot of emphasis on bringing in our cultural teachers and storytellers so that we can all learn,” says Plett. Take, for example, the moon ceremonies that happen in ONWG’s backyard space. “We try to bring in knowledge keepers from different age demographics to do teachings. Every month is different because every moon is different,” says Plett. “It's a great time because it's intergenerational. You have the grandmothers and the great grandchildren out together, learning with one another. It's a way to bring people together.”
At CAA, we want to help community groups who are making a difference, so we’re working with ONWG to build a play structure in the backyard. This new addition to the space joins the small community garden and the firepit where sacred fires often take place. “It’ll be really nice when we can take the children to play outside,” says Plett.
To learn more about ONWG, visit onwg.net.
