Last week, two incumbent school trustees and two hopefuls aiming for a seat on School District 58’s Board of Education laid out what they believe to be the most pressing issues the district will face in the coming four years. Along with four mayoral and eighteen council candidates, they form one of the largest pools of candidates the municipality has ever seen. With voters facing a wide variety of choices, the Herald looks to engage candidates and showcase their responses to the community’s question.

This week, the candidates for School Trustee answered a question regarding Indigenous education in B.C. Their responses, in random order:

This week’s question: How would you utilize BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) when shaping school board policies?

Justin Jepsen:

“In a historic step towards creating a framework for reconciliation, DRIPA was passed into law by the Provincial Government in 2019. A 5-year Action Plan was created earlier this year that provides goals and outcomes that we would like to achieve as a Province.  

I think that the School Board and senior staff should receive a guided orientation to learn about the Action Plan in more depth. This understanding would give the School Board the ability to know how to best use DRIPA in the K-12 education landscape. 

The Action Plan should then be considered by the school board when creating or reviewing all policies going forward. If we try to shape policy through the lens of incorporating DRIPA, we will create a culture where students understand what Truth and Reconciliation means to them as individuals and as a community. 

I also believe that revisions to policies should incorporate consultation with the Aboriginal Advisory Council which represents all the local First Nations.”

 

John Chenoweth (incumbent):

“When that act came into being, Canada had just gone through the Truth and Reconciliation Act (TRC Act) of 2014, and quite a new concept was coming at all Canadians in regards to the socio-historical realities of Indigenous people.

As a trustee, when we think about Bill 41 (DRIPA) or the TRC act, it’s very important for us to consider how we conduct our business, which is serving students and communities, but in particular serving the students from the Indigenous communities we serve. For all Canadians, it’s important to really understand that DRIPA is a way for all of us to reframe the way we think, work, and live with Indigenous people. 

It is a very important factor in everything that we do as a school board, and ensuring that we have the processes, practices, and policies in place to ensure we adhere to that bill (DRIPA). That’s incumbent on every trustee and governmental organization in the province. It is taken very seriously, our school district staff are well aware of it. Indigenous education has been a top priority for our district for quite some time, and it will remain there in regards to this bill.”

 

Robert Leech:

“Our first step is to assess how we are presently fulfilling the guidelines of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples Act. We must examine, with input from Indigenous leaders and teachers, whether the curriculum and programs are meeting the needs of all students. Areas where we fall short of must be addressed. Adequate funding from the provincial government must be made available to meet the criteria set out within the guidelines of the declaration.

When making policies the Board must respect the cultures of all concerned. I would make certain that in deliberations on any topic, the rights of all Indigenous peoples are respected and policy would not single out any particular group. I also would like to see the Board establishing a policy to celebrate an Indigenous Day in the schools, inviting people of Indigenous descent to give interactive talks in classrooms to share their culture. Where funds are available the Board would provide school trips for students to visit museums with the emphasis on indigenous displays specific to our area and support curriculum changes to include teachings on indigenous cultures, art, and history.”

 

Gordon Swan:

“When shaping school board policies utilizing DRIPA we link our actions to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and the BC Tripartite Education Agreement. We have provided dedicated staff keeping in mind that, as seen through a First Nations lens, the phrase, “Nothing About Us, Without Us.”

Here are a few examples of our collaborative work to date:

  • District Aboriginal Education Council
  • Culture Camps for staff to experience local first nations communities
  • Ongoing meetings between Chiefs and Trustees
  • Conducting an Equity Scan of District policies/procedures to remove barriers
  • Indigenous grad rate ~ 20% higher than provincial average
  • Indigenous language classes
  • Embedding First Nations Principles of Learning into classroom instruction
  • Director of Indigenous Education
  • First Nations Support Workers
  • District Powwow
  • Education Enhancement Agreements with every Band
  • House of Honour at MSS

I am proud of our partnerships with our First Nations communities in this work. Our journey is ongoing and re-electing Gordon Swan on October 15 will ensure the journey continues.”

 

To view the weekly question asked to council and Mayoral candidates, along with all of the Herald’s coverage of this election, view the ‘Civic Elections’ tab on the Herald’s website.

The municipal election will take place on October 15, and will see Merrittonians elect one Mayor, six Councillors, and three School Trustees to a four year term. For more information on the election, visit www.merritt.ca/election22.