Blog Posts

As we complete the first month of the new school year, there are two important dates to honour and guide our work on Stó:lō tém:éxw: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th and Stó:lō New Year on October 2nd, 2024.

Working towards revealing truths and moving towards Reconciliation takes all of us. As we reflect on these two dates, we see how they work with one another.

The Indigenous Education Department held a special Spring Break School to support students with their academic success, connection to cultural identity, and connection to the community. Students chose from three programs: Credit Recovery for students who needed to re-do part of a course to pass or improve their mark, a Peer Tutoring-credited course, and a Foods-credited course.

We are fortunate to have a dedicated and caring staff supporting our Indigenous students in our district who utilize a variety of creative approaches to do whatever it takes to support students to achieve success in our schools, develop their cultural identities and advocate for equitable access to every opportunity. Our ultimate mandate in Indigenous Education is to graduate students and to prepare them for a happy and fulfilling adulthood.

I was so pleased that we extended a special day of support to acknowledge and celebrate support staff in our district on June 1. We invited our Indigenous Support Workers to Mamele’awt for an appreciation tea to enjoy the fruit and chocolate strawberries the Board had sent to thank our staff.  It was wonderful to take a bit of time to come together for fun, play some games, laugh and enjoy each other’s company.

With all the recent retirement festivities I have had cause of late to reflect on my journey in the education system.  One of the frequent questions I have been asked is why I decide to become a teacher “all those years ago.”  I have had occasion over the years to mention it on World Teacher Day, but for me, the decision had everything to do with my school experiences, and a challenge extended to me by a very special human being.

In previous posts, I have shared my perspectives on the spectre of systemic racism in education, particularly in relation to Indigenous Peoples. I highlighted two interrelated constructs related to this issue: epistemic racism (the idea that there is only one form of true knowledge) and the related “racism of low expectations” highlighted in the 2016 Auditor General’s Report.

Ashley Lamson, ISW at ASIA Sumas and member of Semá:th First Nation, has generations of knowledge to share with her students about the significance of canoe pulling in the Indigenous community.  Much of this heritage was taken with the draining of Sumas Lake, but canoeing has been revitalized in the last generations as an important connection to land, water and culture. Ashley is from the Silver family, and her mom, nephew, and uncle share some of these important lessons in this video. 

_{O wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't.}

_{— William Shakespeare, The Tempest}

Earlier this school year I made the commitment to report back on what I had learned as a consequence of my “shadow a student” experience.  Listening to students has been a key part of my practice over the last few years, and shadowing a student is the most recent iteration of this learning journey.

The Indigenous Department has been honoured to work with our community partners at VYPER, Xyolhemeylh and the Fraser Valley Metis Association to sponsor a Powwow and Cultural Night each Thursday.