Nathan leading the Monday morning Land Acknowledgement via Zoom
For the last six years, the Delta School District has started school assemblies, presentations, district and Board meetings, and public events with an acknowledgment that it is situated on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Tsawwassen and Musqueam First Nations and all Hun’qumi’num speaking people.
“The land acknowledgement is extremely important. We can’t begin the journey of reconciliation until we acknowledge where we are and honour the history of this place,” said Diane Jubinville, District Vice Principal, Indigenous Education. “The acknowledgement serves as an important reminder that First Nations people have been here since time immemorial and that Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people have a shared history of this country that collectively we are only learning about now.”
Since January of this year, all staff and students have been invited to participate in a weekly Monday Morning Land Acknowledgement via Zoom, led by Nathan Wilson, the district’s Indigenous Cultural Enhancement Facilitator. From time to time, special guests join Nathan to say the acknowledgement, including Superintendent Doug Sheppard, other members of the Executive Team and interested students in Grades 3 to 12.
Last year, Paige Hansen, District Vice Principal of Academies and Choice Programs, interviewed various educators in the District and made a video to help all district staff reflect on why we do land acknowledgements. Watch the video here. The video has been requested by the B.C. Ministry of Education to share with school districts in the province to assist all educators on their respective journey to reconciliation.
(left to right) Indigenous Education Department members Cody Forbes, Heidi Wood and Nathan Wilson with Superintendent Doug Sheppard