School Board 57 has announced it’s support for the election of two Indigenous trustees to the board and has unanimously voted to write a letter in support of the change.
This comes after Lheidli T’enneh Nation Chief, Dayi Clay Pountney initially asked for one trustee be elected from Lheidli T’enneh in May.
“We strongly feel that in order to rebuild trust, improve accountability and transparency and to begin to improve graduation rates for students we need to have two trustees on the SD57 Board,” explained, ” added Deputy Chief of Mcleod Lake Indian Band Jayde Duranleau.
“We also know that working with the District we also need to see our language and culture represented,” added Dayi Clay Pountney, “because this is our identity and this is the territories in which you reside on.”
Mcleod Lake Indian Band Chief, Harley Chingee joined in on the request in asking for a trustee to represent Mcleod Lake after Pountney’s announcement in May.
“If we look at the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous grad rates, if we look at the impacts that our education system has had long term and how the system has treated Indigenous families over many years, we see that the system is obviously not working,” explained Trustee Tim Bennett.
While Tim Bennett did show support for sending in a letter of support for the appointment, he did share his fears of the process getting caught up in the bureaucracy of the provincial government.
He did, in turn, suggest the board and both Band leaders look into different models across the country, adding “I do have a real concern for consultation.”
“I also look at other models that some districts in our province are using around having perhaps an elder that is involved in having conversations around the table,” added Bennett.
The board cannot decide whether or not the appointment of the trustees moves forward, they can only decide whether or not they want to show support for the change.
During the meeting Trent Derrick was elected as the new chair of the board after Tim Bennett stepped down last week, Trustee Shuirose Valimohamed has been elected as the new Vice-Chair.
Bennett will continue to serve as a trustee on the board.
The board voted unanimously to move forward in writing a letter in support of the election of two Indigenous Trustees. #CityofPG #SD57
— Francoise Dione? (@dione_wearmouth) November 4, 2020