s7ulh wa nexwniw̓éyalh
Our Ways of Education
Taking back jurisdiction of our children’s education is one of the Nation Building Initiatives that Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) prioritizes. Our s7ulh wa nexwniw̓éyalh (Our Ways of Education) project team is embarking on an exciting journey to reshape the future of education in our community, and we need your valuable input!
Get Involveds7ulh wa nexwniw̓éyalh
Project Team
We want to know what you think
The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh education plan is at risk of stalling, and we need your input to move forward. s7ulh wa nexwniw̓éyalh (Our Ways of Education) wants to connect with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Elders, parents, caregivers, and children in the education system.
Whether you would like to sit down with us for a meal we provide or chat over the phone, we are eager to hear what will help the education of our mén̓men thrive.
Please reach out to the s7ulh wa nexwniw̓éyalh (Our Ways of Education) team to set up a time to share your valuable knowledge and teachings.
Email: reclaiming.education@squamish.net
Phone: 604-982-7600 (ask to speak to the Our Ways of Education team)
As of September 2024, we’ve heard from 802 people in our community through survey responses, Elder one-on-ones, family interviews, lunch-ins with youth, and focus groups.
We are categorizing all the feedback we heard and will do a full report back to community in late Fall 2024.
So far from our survey to community, we heard:
- 3 of 4 respondents are involved in raising Sḵwx̱wú7mesh children.
- Top 3 skills people in an education governing body should have: traditional Sḵwx̱wú7mesh knowledge, education system expertise, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim fluency.
- 9 of 10 respondents said Sḵwx̱wú7mesh students (on and off reserve) should be first priority.
- 8 of 10 respondents said non-Indigenous students are welcome in Sḵwx̱wú7mesh schools.
Your Questions Answered
Yes. The current curriculum aligns with provincial requirements and includes our own teachings. Our goal is to ensure every learner can transition into the public school system at any time and that their Sḵwx̱wú7mesh learnings and ways help ground them in who they are, so they can confidently succeed in a variety of educational systems.
Yes. While we always encourage and want to support planned transitions between schools to minimize disruptions for students, we believe that choosing a school system and learning approach is a personal and family choice. We will always respect that choice.
We are working to realize our dream of teaching our children the best of both worlds, so they can strongly and confidently choose any path in their lives. In the upcoming year, the team will be implementing the Education Law Engagement Strategy.
To learn more, and to receive updates or submit questions, please email reclaiming.education@squamish.net.
It has been a year since 87.5 per cent of Members voted YES in the s7ulh wa nexwniw̓éyalh (Our Ways of Education) Referendum (formerly known as Reclaiming Education), which means that the Nation has entered into an Education Jurisdiction Agreement that will lead to us managing education for Sḵwx̱wú7mesh children.
There is much work to be done and it has been started with passion, commitment, and excitement. Here are three initiatives to advance our journey:
We have put agreements in place to set out the path based on the results of the referendum.
These include signing agreements that define how and when Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw will take back control of education:
- Canada – First Nation Education Jurisdiction Funding Agreement
- British Columbia – Squamish Nation Education Jurisdiction Agreement
- First Nation Education Authority Co-Management Agreement
We have hired a team to plan and implement an engagement process that will bring the community into the process of Reclaiming Education.
There will be opportunities in 2024 for Members to engage deeply and provide feedback on this topic. This process will lead to us drafting new laws around education that are for us and by us.
We have crunched the numbers and created a high-level budget that outlines how much it will cost to implement Reclaiming Education with the Engagement and Implementation Plan.
Concurrently, the feasibility study for expanding on-reserve schools in the Squamish Valley and the North Shore has begun.