| SecondaryBy Stephanie Strandt, Vice Principal
The focus of Curriculum Implementation Day was surrounded by the quote "Go Forward with Courage." Secondary school staff had the opportunity to hear from Tsnomot Dr. Brad Baker. His message centered around the words of the Honourable Murray Sinclair when he said "Education holds the key to reconciliation. It is where our country will heal itself." Dr. Baker talked about how hard conversations are not unsafe conversations, they are just hard. As a secondary teacher in the NVSD I appreciated the opportunity to reflect on my own practice and engage in dialogue with other teachers on how we can take this learning and go forward with courage. By embracing the First Peoples Principles of Learning I believe we can better support the Indigenous students that we teach and care for which will elevate and unite the wider community. 
ElementaryBy Magdalene Bunce, Teacher and Ashley Pulice, Teacher On the December 6, 2024, for Curriculum Implementation Day, elementary staff from across NVSD gathered at Argyle Secondary to deepen our commitment to Indigenous Education, Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation. Through stories, data, and reflections, the event underscored the collective responsibility to foster understanding, create meaningful relationships, and take daily actions towards reconciliation, ensuring brighter futures for all children. The day began with a message from Principal Laura Ames succeeded by a heartfelt acknowledgement of the land by a young member of Argyle Secondary who then welcomed Elder Unsakhalote (Un-sax-a-loat), Carleen Thomas. Thomas reminded us that səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil Waututh), when translated, means “People of the Inlet” and shared the age-old saying, “When the tide goes out, the table is set.” Thomas’ teachings emphasized the importance of the relationship between the people and the land. Next, we were fortunate to hear the sage words of Síyameythel Rose Green, District Principal, Indigenous and Equity Education, who echoed Thomas’ sentiments of moving forward with courage. Rose stated it is the work of non-Indigenous people to take time, ask questions, make space, and reconcile so that we can stand together for “our people in the middle,” our children. Superintendent, Dr. Ryan’s address followed, leaving us with the impactful message that the human experience is built on little, teachable, relational moments and when compounded together towards a common goal, these moments can result in collective action to make change. He asserted that to achieve education’s goal of living a good life, we must consider our daily actions and our relationships – with the land, technology, ourselves, and others. We then participated in an engaging movement break led by Tine Parker, District Vice Principal, Healthy Futures, to prepare us to listen intently to the powerful keynote to come. 
To culminate the morning session, we had the honour of learning from the esteemed Leona Prince, Assistant Superintendent of Indigenous Education, Ministry of Education and Child Care. She commenced by introducing herself using her full name and presenting a unique land acknowledgment: I respectfully acknowledge the land the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil Waututh) peoples. This is the land of their Ancestors. Thank you. Prince stressed the significance of sharing your last name to tell the story of your lineage and showing up as your best self in the territory of others. She went on to display NVSD’s Grade 4 and 7 Literacy and Numeracy data, highlighting the discrepancies between the scores of Indigenous, On-Reserve, and Non-Indigenous students. While celebrating the uptick in the +6-year completion rate of Indigenous students, Prince reminded us that we should consider whose definition of achievement we are assessing against and what is the local perspective of success. She reminded us of our deep need for reconciliation with the land, and how this must extend beyond land-based curriculum, layering both Indigenous and Western knowledges. Reaffirming the words of Dr. Ryan, Prince gave prominence to the need for daily, small actions and quoted the term “relentless incrementalism” which was shared with her by Dr. Dustin Louie, Director of the Indigenous Teacher Education Program (NITEP), Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. Prince profoundly posited that, “Our identity is rooted in the Earth. People, languages, and the land are synonymous.” To conclude, Prince drew upon an inspirational anecdote called, Haley’s Story, giving hope that not all teachings have been lost and when provided with the right conditions to thrive and reconnect with land, Indigenous children will be able to bring their ancestral knowledge back to their families.  
NVSD elementary staff then had time to digest and solidify their understanding from the morning by participating in breakout sessions. Guided by the First Peoples Principles of Learning, facilitators and participants established a set of community norms before responding to questions derived from the works of Leona Prince, Be a Good Ancestor and A Dance Through the Seasons. Each school was generously gifted a copy of each title.
In North Vancouver School District, we are committed to continuous learning, growth, reflection, and reconciliation. The inspiration from Leona Prince and our shared work during Curriculum Implementation Day is another step towards a more meaningful approach to Indigenous Education and reconnecting with the land. Together, with daily, incremental actions towards reconciliation, we are helping to create a space where all students can gain an appreciation of the rich culture and ways of knowing of the Indigenous people in Canada while learning the truth about the history of the land, we are so fortunate to call home.
 
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