Carrier Sekani Chief Terry Teegee attended last week’s school board meeting to call on the board, once again, to re-establish the district’s Aboriginal Education Board, which was dissolved in August 2014.
“The purpose of the re-establishment of the aboriginal education board is to be an oversight on such things as budgets and curriculum development for many of our membership who are going to school in School District 57,” Teegee says. “Our purpose is to uphold our children and make sure they get the proper education that they need and the success that they need to graduate from high school.”
Teegee expressed frustration at the board’s lack of action so far.
“None of the policies that relates to the Aboriginal Education Board has been implemented over the last two years. We’re greatly concerned in terms of how budgets have been allocated and the development of curriculums which include our culture and our heritage and language.”
Teegee gave the board a letter on behalf of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council calling for the board to take action on his request within 60 days. Specifically, the letter asks the school board to hold an in-camera meeting with the original Ab-Ed board participants, review targeted aboriginal education funds and review School District policies 1230 and 1231, which specify consultation with the Ab-Ed board.
The Prince George Native Friendship Centre, College of New Caledonia, Aboriginal Employment and Training Association, Nak’azdli Whut’en, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and former district superintendent Brian Pepper also provided letters in support of Teegee’s request.
At the beginning of the May 17 meeting, the board voted to post-pone a discussion regarding aboriginal education in the district that had been included in the night’s agenda.
“I’m not sure what the purpose of the deferral of that agenda item was,” says Teegee. “I hope to hear back from Chairman Cable and other trustees to hear us out and hear our concerns and also to re-establish the original Ab-Ed board.”
The school board said it needed time to further consult about the issue.
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