My Union Heart

TITLE: Indigenous Worldview in Public Education

As a war-canoe puller, a teacher, and union leader, I believe in the collective. I understand the strength and success of a canoe team lies within the teams’ ability to work together. It does not matter if I sit in the #1 seat or # 10 seat; being synchronized and dedicated to others is key. 

Since 2002 I have been in public education through a variety of roles: as a non-enrolling teacher, classroom teacher, BCTF facilitator and curriculum writer, Aboriginal Education Association (AEA) Professional Specialist Association (PSA) member-at-Large, Mission Teachers Union (MTU) Executive Committee as Indigenous Chair and British Columbia Teacher Federation (BCTF) Executive Committee as Member at Large. I have been in classrooms across grades and subjects.

 So, here are some of my key observations on my travels:

• the erosion of class size and composition has affected working conditions for teachers.

• teacher-librarians, art and music teachers are some of the first jobs to disappear, leaving the classroom teacher to pick-up however they can.

• teachers, from temporary teachers on call to soon-to-be-retired teachers, are overwhelmed. 

• Indigenous culture in schools face many challenges, including out-right refusal (Servatius v. Alberni School District No. 70, 2020 BCSC 424) ,not knowing, and appropriation.

• there is structural and blatant racism in many areas. 

From my observations, I wonder often of the BC curriculum implementation as it has a large portion centred on Indigenous worldviews and knowledge. If teachers do not have time, how are we to consider de-colonizing our practices? Or even see the value in doing so? How can we deep dive into race, racism,anti-racism, and equity? Or discern between cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation?

Also, I am heartened by the Federations’ amazing approaches that I have seen and felt are in social justice, working with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) and Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (2SLGBTQQIA+), Aboriginal Education PSA, Aboriginal Education Advisory Committee, and the new Office of Anti-Racism and anti-Oppression. I believe BCTF is serious in their obligations to create safe spaces for BIPOC members.

Therefore, I am happy with my work within unions as they shall always be near and dear to my heart. Dr. Graham Smith asked, “Where are your blisters?” when one considers one’s position on a sliding scale between theory and practice. The question is self-reflective, it looks to reveal on how much one is doing over how much one is theorizing. My answer to Dr. Smith’s question is, “Here, I’ve got lots and I am happy to continue”.

Professional themes I value:

• Indigenous Education

• Cindy Blackstock’s work to have Canada follow through on its’ own Human Rights Tribunal. You may or may not know that Canada LOST at its’ own Human Rights Tribunal and the journey for justice is long.

• Intersectionality to create safe spaces for, but not limited to, Two-spirited, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, and beyond (2SLGBTQQIA+) and Indigenous Peoples.

• #SuicideAwareness #KeepTalking #ProfessionalGoozih

• Indigenous Research/Paradigms, Critical Race Theory, Racism, Anti-racism, re/dress, re/storying, Indigenous Sovereignty, Indigenous Futurity, Counter Narrative, and Indigenous Joy.

• Equity

• Social Justice

• Truth telling, as in truth before reconciliation.

SOGI 123 Salish Weaving project

This project was an opportunity to value what we value. Specifically, creating and maintaining safe spaces for 2SLGBTQQIA+ and Indigenous Peoples whilst interrupting “The Perfect Stranger”(Dion, 2013) in the K-12 School System.

The project aligned with BC Curriculum Social Awareness and Responsibility Core Competency: “I act to support diversity and defend human rights and can identify how diversity is beneficial for the communities I belong to” Profile 6 Social Awareness and Responsibility (Ministry of Education, Core Competencies, 2017, p. 7).

The SOGI 123 Salish Weaving project was shared in print and workshops:

• Article in the Teacher Magazine May/June 2019 “Weaving a Rainbow”, p. 20

• BCTF Aboriginal Advisory Committee and Social Justice Committee for Action on Social Justice (CASJ) Provincial Conference “ReconciliACTION: Witnessing and walking together” May 24–25, 2019

• BCTF Aboriginal Advisory Talk after AGM in Victoria March 18, 2019 “Sogi 123 Salish Weaving Counter Narrative and Indigenous Feminism in K-12”

• 17th Annual Indigenous Graduate Student Symposium (IGSS) UBC & SFU March 16, 2019

• Chilliwack Teacher’s Association (CTA) SOGI 123 ProD Talk Dec 18, 2018

• SD75 Mission School District SOGI 123 Weaving & Stó:lō Honouring Ceremony June 11, 2018

What I have been up to (most recent 1st)

• Co-authored the Project of Heart Canoe (POHC) e-book (Sept 2024).

• Co-President of the MTLA (Mission Teacher Librarian Association), 2023

• Published Author for the book “The Secret Pocket” (Spring 2023)

• Art Show with my Mom, Mary O’Connal (posthumously): Native American Art Exhibition: A Weaver’s Choice - Coast Salish Wool Weavings Curated by Selena Kearney (November 7 - December 9, 2022 at the Leonor R. Fuller Gallery, South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia Campus)

• BCTF Executive Committee - Member at Large - Indigenous. 2yr term, July 2020- July 2022

• Drawing Change Workshop: Drawing Change Consulting Oct 2021

• NITEP Adjunct Professor August 2021

• NITEP Advisory Chair 2021-present

• MTU Executive Committee - Aboriginal Chair 2019/2020-2023/2024; Secretary Treasurer 2023/2024.

• created “The Secret Pocket” initiative in SD75 Mission which centres Indigenous resiliency & the TRC Calls to Action. Feb 2020 to present.

• Created the SOGI 123 Salish Weaving in Mission School District Spring 2018

• BCTF Aboriginal Facilitator and workshop/curriculum co-contributor 2018/2019, 2019/2020

• BCTF AEA PSA Member at Large 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021

• National Indispire Awards: Innovative Educator Nov 2019

• UBC MOOC – International online course - as Interviewee – A Residential School Workshop: Unit 2: August 2014

• UBC M.Ed. Indigenous Knowledges/Indigenous Pedagogies 2014

• awarded by Abbotsford Community Services: Annual Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards Innovative Initiative: Honouring Our Teachers Ceremony SD34 Abbotsford Aboriginal Department March 2012

• my first Salish weaving, 2010

• BCTF FNEA PSA: 2004/2005, 2005/2006

• UFV (UCFV at the time) Aboriginal Community Council

• Abbotsford District Teachers Association (ADTA) Aboriginal 2005/2006

• Siyaye Yoyes Regional Committee: consists of 9 Indigenous Education Departments of school districts & 2 private Band Schools in the Lower Fraser Valley: Co-Chair 2004: 2002-present. Including the recent work with the Stó:lō Sitel Curriculum with Dr. Joanne Archibald, Coqualeetza Cultural Education Centre, and the Vancouver Foundation. See “Stó:lō Sxwōxwiyám Stories: Mr Bear and Baby” lesson & PowerPoint in my Sxwōxwiyám FOLDER.

• UBC B.Ed. NITEP 2001

• picked up my first paddle 1994