By Swapna Bhagat Luthra
At McKenzie Towne School in Alberta, students are learning through touch, scent, and sound with the Indigenous Sensory Box Project. Created in the Enhanced Educational Supports (EES) classroom, this innovative project provides a hands-on and immersive way to explore Indigenous culture, making learning accessible, memorable, and impactful for all.
A Multi-Sensory Exploration
As a teacher catering to neurodiverse students, I am always looking for meaningful and inclusive ways to engage learners. Having witnessed how sensory-based activities can create deeper, more personal connections to learning, and wanting to provide students with the opportunity to experience Indigenous culture through their senses, I came up with the idea for the Indigenous Sensory Box.
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It engages students by allowing them to feel, smell, and hear elements of Indigenous traditions. Soft rabbit fur, smooth antlers, handwoven baskets, and the coarse texture of cedar offer a tactile experience that brings cultural materials to life. The earthy aromas of sweetgrass and sage deepen students’ connection to sacred traditions, while the rhythmic beat of the drum and the rustling of a deer-hide-wrapped mallet immerse them in Indigenous soundscapes.
Artifacts That Tell a Story
When selecting items for the Sensory Box, I aimed to include those that would offer rich sensory experiences while representing important aspects of Indigenous culture and traditions. I carefully researched the significance of each artifact and chose materials that could engage students through touch, scent, and sound. The goal was to create a collection that highlighted traditional practices, natural materials, and meaningful symbols, offering students a respectful and immersive introduction to Indigenous history and storytelling.
Each item in the Sensory Box has a purpose. The medicine wheel, woven with intricate craftsmanship, represents balance and harmony. Hand-sewn moccasins, beaded jewelry, and traditional medicine pouches each offer insight into cultural practices and skilled artistry.
Students can examine the careful beadwork of an orange shirt and connect to the meaning behind it. A beautifully woven dreamcatcher captures their attention, symbolizing protection and filtering out negative dreams. A miniature wooden dog sled provides another layer of curiosity, representing a symbolic or functional tool in Indigenous storytelling.
The Sensory Box also includes braids of sweetgrass and twine to signify unity and strength, while an intricately designed blue knitted cap showcases Indigenous craftsmanship in clothing. Antler pieces and soapstone carvings offer students a glimpse into sustainable resource use, highlighting how Indigenous communities respect and utilize natural materials. The presence of feathers and beads further emphasizes the beauty of Indigenous artistry, demonstrating how these materials have been used in storytelling and design for generations.
All of these items were gathered through a thoughtful combination of community partnerships and personal contributions. Some were sourced in collaboration with Indigenous communities to ensure authenticity and respectful representation. Several meaningful pieces were also generously donated by the school’s Assistant Principal, who has spent years collecting culturally significant items to support student learning.
Bringing History and Culture to Life
A key part of the project is the opportunity to observe and learn from Indigenous artisans and Knowledge Keepers who carefully craft elements such as medicine pouches, beadwork, and woven artifacts. Students are guided through the meanings behind these materials and their connection to well-being, tradition, and identity. Listening to the wisdom of Indigenous voices, students can experience the power of storytelling through sound and sensory engagement, expanding their understanding of both cultural traditions and historical experiences.
The response to the Indigenous Sensory Box has been overwhelmingly positive. One student shared that they liked the fur because it was so soft. Another student commented that the sound of the drum made them “feel calm.” An Indigenous Knowledge Keeper who visited the classroom expressed appreciation for the project’s respectful approach and its focus on meaningful, sensory-based learning. One artisan noted, “It’s powerful for young people to learn not just through books, but by touching and listening. That’s how our ancestors passed knowledge, too.”
A Lasting Impact
The Indigenous Sensory Box is more than a classroom resource—it is an experience that deepens learning through the senses. By touching, smelling, listening, and engaging, students build a more personal and meaningful connection to Indigenous history and traditions, making learning inclusive, accessible, and unforgettable.
Acknowledgments
This project would not have been possible without the collaboration of educators who generously shared their time, stories, and resources. Their guidance and contributions have made the project a meaningful and enriching experience for all students. A special thank you to Ms. Karen Woodrow (Assistant Principal at McKenzie Towne School) for her support in bringing this vision to life and to Ms. Cheryl Bullis (Educational Assistant at McKenzie Towne School) for creating the Sensory Box.
Swapna Bhagat Luthra is a Calgary Board of Education teacher working with neurodiverse students to foster inclusive, supportive learning environments. She is passionate about pragmatic, student-centred teaching for learners who see the world differently.
