September is nearing its close, and you are hopefully seeing and feeling school routines settling into place. The hot August summer days are but a sweet and distant memory, as your thoughts move to Thanksgiving, Halloween costumes, and all things fall. By now, you have held your first PAC meeting, open house, welcome back dance, and perhaps a career fair – you are off to the races!

Amidst all of the beginning-of-the-year fun, while families are settling into their own routines and you are scheduling communications with families, it is the time of year to ask yourself questions that will drive forward the work of the school.

As educational leaders, setting a vision for our schools is not just about academic success, but also about creating a culture that reflects our values and commitments. One profound way to shape this vision is by embracing the principles of truth and reconciliation, particularly in the context of Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30.

A vision that truly respects and acknowledges the history of Indigenous peoples is at the core of our educational goals. This means integrating truth and reconciliation into the fabric of our daily work.

As the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair said, “Education has gotten us into this mess, and education will get us out.” Schools have a vital role in raising awareness and understanding among students, staff, and our communities about the history and impact of residential schools. Principals and Vice-Principals have the opportunity to guide this work and forever impact the lives of students.

Dr. Dustin Louie, Director of the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP) at the University of British Columbia, and Leona Price, formerly an education leader in SD91, and currently Assistant Superintendent of Indigenous Education with the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care, published an article in 2023, Achieving Equity in Graduation Rates and Other Indicators of Success for Indigenous Learners in Canada, that looked at ways to “harness Indigenous student and community voices to guide change in the K-12 education” system. 

Engaging with students, teachers, administrators, parents and guardians, and Indigenous communities, they grounded their research in understanding the current context of Indigenous education within the communities of focus. Findings from the equity scan identified “three key areas as needing growth; culture and language, communication, and connectedness and relationships.”

In essence, the mirror had been held up and the district and communities got to work. Memoranda of understanding were signed, and the stage was set to begin the hard work together.  And, they asked themselves some tough and important questions: 

• Did the students feel safe and welcome at schools?
• Did the students see themselves reflected in the curriculum?
• Did the students see themselves reflected by having members of the staff that were part of their local Indigenous group? 
• Did the students experience acts of peer racism?

Based on research findings, Indigenous education emerged as a priority in governance, policy, programming, and practice, and the answers to the necessary change were found as such: