For this week in the Sooke School District and beyond, reconciliation and the colour orange go hand in hand.
One of the projects that speak to the importance of Orange Shirt Day and reconciliation in SD62 in a collaborative, thoughtful manner is the creation of an art canoe carefully crafted by Grade 9 art class students and staff at Westshore Colwood School, said John Lyall, the schoolB次元官网网址檚 vice-principal.
B次元官网网址淚 have a deeply personal connection to Sept. 30,B次元官网网址� noted Lyall, a member of the KwakwakaB次元官网网址檞akw First Nation who has worked in a variety of capacities for SD62 over 20 years. B次元官网网址淢y mother and most of my aunts and uncles went to residential schools and IB次元官网网址檝e seen the negative impact it had on them.
B次元官网网址淥n the other side, IB次元官网网址檝e been fortunate to witness the positive impact Orange Shirt Day has had on raising awareness and reflection for staff and students throughout the district and the community. I always like to quote my uncle, Alex Nelson, who said, B次元官网网址楢s we mourn together, we heal together.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
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Although he sketched the original thunderbird design for the canoe, Lyall said the majority of the work was handled by the schoolB次元官网网址檚 Grade 9 students and their teacher, Rick Fabris.
B次元官网网址淭hey made it come to life,B次元官网网址� Lyall added.
As part of the project, Elders Earl Claxton and Rick Peter will discuss what reconciliation means with the students, who will then express their thoughts by adding words to a collection of small orange paddles to be placed around the canoe.
B次元官网网址淭he project is a metaphorical journey for all of us paddling together,B次元官网网址� Lyall said.
Bryan Johnson, acting principal for NaB次元官网网址檛saB次元官网网址檓aht Indigenous Education for SD 62, said he B次元官网网址渉eartilyB次元官网网址� agrees with the decision to declare Sept. 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
B次元官网网址淩ecent findings in Kamloops and across the country have underlined the importance of bringing awareness about residential schools and the impact they had on First Nations and Indigenous communities,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e have recognized the significance of Orange Shirt Day in the district for many years, but more schools are making it a larger event to provide greater educational opportunities for our students. As we work towards reconciliation, raising awareness and working with students and the community is central.B次元官网网址�
Johnson stressed the district will continue its efforts to achieve that.
ALSO READ: Local B.C. governments seek ways to go beyond talking about reconciliation
B次元官网网址淭iffany Adams, our departmentB次元官网网址檚 curriculum co-ordinator, has worked really hard to compile resources that will be available to staff to discuss this with students,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a really important step toward creating equitable communities.B次元官网网址�
Sooke author Teoni Spathelfer, a member of the Heitsuk Nation from Coastal B.C., is hosting a virtual book talk for Kindergarten to Grade 3 students on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 1:10 p.m. that includes readings and discussion about her book, Little Wolf. She will present another of her works, White Raven, for Grade 4 and 5 students Tuesday at 1:50 p.m. and on Wednesday at 2:20 p.m. for those in Grade 6 to 12.
Spathelfer has immersed herself in her own culture and others from around the world since she was a child. She has worked as a publicist, radio journalist, host, producer and has written about arts and music.
Her documentary TeoniB次元官网网址檚 Dream was inspired by her motherB次元官网网址檚 residential school experience and has aired nationwide on CBC Radio. Her photography has been featured in a variety of media and has sold privately. She has three daughters and four grandchildren.
