A group of attendees seated in a dome theatre, watching a vivid projection of a swirling cosmic scene resembling a black hole.
Student's observing a black hole at the Lockhart Planetarium at the UM Fort Garry Campus, as part of Manitoba Indigenous Science and Engineering Fair activities.
Estimated Read Time:
2 minutes
Indigenous

Bridging tradition and innovation at Indigenous science fair

Manitoba students tackle real-world issues rooted in their communities.

Estimated Read Time:
2 minutes
Student's observing a black hole at the Lockhart Planetarium at the UM Fort Garry Campus, as part of Manitoba Indigenous Science and Engineering Fair activities.

Indigenous high school students are using science to help connect the past with the present.

Their projects at the Manitoba Indigenous Science and Engineering Fair (MISEF) blended land-based knowledge with scientific methods, used traditional teachings to guide modern innovation, and turned ancestral wisdom into contemporary ideas.

“I’m really impressed by the level that they’re able to describe their projects to me,” said Melissa Anderson, a First Nations PhD bio-medical student and volunteer judge, at the mid-March event hosted by the University of Manitoba (UM).

“I’m in university and a couple of them seem to be at a university level.”

Wide view of a science fair with student project displays and attendees interacting in a large indoor space.

UM has partnered with or hosted the event for more than a decade as part of its goal to make the university a welcoming place for Indigenous students.

“Early connections to campus help Indigenous youth picture themselves studying here and know they’ll be welcomed by a supportive community,” said Desiree Morrisseau, Director of Indigenous Student Recruitment and Community Relations.  

Judges make their way through the projects presented by hundred of students from grades 4-12.
A group of participants wearing matching MSK Science Fair hoodies, seated together in bleachers.

The fair draws hundreds of students from across the province in Grades 4-12 like the ones who fussed and fidgeted on March 20 as judges, teachers and proud parents looked on. The judging wrapped up two days of science and engineering activities on UM’s Fort Garry campus.

“There are 210 projects here,” said fair founder and organizer Rudy Subedar. The winners move on to the Canada-Wide Science Fair in June.

Janelle Malcolm, a science fair gold-medal winner in 2025, was back with more research into the ecological and cultural impacts of zebra mussels.

“It’s actually something personal to our community,” said the Grade 11 student from Ebb and Flow First Nation north of Winnipeg. “We have an island that was a ceremonial place for us—there were Sun Dances, we had our Treaty Days, they built basketball courts for the youth—and after zebra mussels came along in 2021 it was left completely abandoned.

student stands in front of her poster board created for her project.

“A lot of the kids used to swim there. They were getting cut up all over their legs.” Malcolm is already talking about continuing her science studies at UM.

“I do want to continue this. I want to keep studying with water.”

Nearby, two Grade 7 students compared the winning potential of different bingo cards.

Top left: Janelle Malcolm, grade 11 student from Ebb and Flow First Nation and her project. Bottom right: Bingo project by grade 7 students, Shane Malcolm and Brayden Malcolm, from Ebb and Flow First Nation.
Student presenting a science project, holding test tubes in front of a display board

“We tried to figure out what was better—homemade cards or custom cards,” explained Brayden Malcolm of Ebb and Flow. “It was the pre-made cards.”

This was an important project, added his classmate Shane Malcolm, “because we love bingo.”

Through their work, the students tackled real-world issues facing their people and communities.

That’s the basic idea of all the projects having two-eyed seeing, so we have to use both the perspectives of the mainstream western knowledge and Indigenous knowledge.

Jyoti Sardam, Teacher, God’s Lake Narrows First Nation

A group of people wearing matching MSK Science Fair hoodies seated together on bleachers.

‘Two-eyed seeing’ emphasizes seeing the strengths of Indigenous knowledge with one eye, and seeing Western knowledge with the other eye, using both together for the benefit of all.

“We have some (former) students also here at the University of Manitoba,” said Ferdinand Ayo, another teacher from God’s Lake Narrows.

Top left: Science Fair Committee from Gods Lake Narrows First Nation. Bottom right: Student showing off test tubes used in her experiments.
Student science fair display featuring a large handmade bingo board experiment
“Just like what the Elders say, ‘While you’re young, go experience (and) explore the world. (Then) when you’re ready to come back to community, come and share your knowledge.”

This initiative is supported by the Offices of the Vice-President (Indigenous) and Vice-President (Research & International). If you’re looking for ways to support Indigenous excellence at UM, please see more options online

By Kathleen Martens