Indigenous-Focused Learning Day: A Day of Witnessing, Listening, and Learning

Last Friday, all qathet School District staff and members of the qathet Region were invited to take part in the second annual Indigenous-Focused Learning Day. This year’s theme centred around the practice of witnessing: calling on those in our sector to intentionally listen to the teachings, triangulate their own place in the work, have meaningful dialogue, and to move forward together. It was a day to sit and listen with open hearts, to humbly learn the truths and realities faced by Indigenous peoples, to share ideas, and to gain tools and knowledge that help us move forward with deeper understanding, empathy, and appreciation. 

We were honoured to welcome Marie Wilson, a journalist, educator, and one of the three Commissioners of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, who spent the day with us. She delivered a powerful keynote and joined in a meaningful conversation with Tanner Timothy, a second-generation residential school survivor whose father was taken to St. Augustine’s at the age of four. Together, they invited us to witness their dialogue and learn from their lived experiences. 

For six years, Marie gathered testimony from more than 6,500 residential school survivors, helping to document both the history and the lasting impacts of the residential school system. Her work was essential in ensuring that survivors’ stories were heard and preserved. 

Learning days like these are not about shame or guilt over our shared history. They are about listening, learning with humility, and taking meaningful action that can make a difference in our schools and communities. As Marie reminded us, “School is the biggest forum we have to teach.” Schools are places where we reach the most people, and where children learn most powerfully through example. It is our responsibility, as a public education system, to lead by example through accountability and action. 

We are deeply grateful to John Louie for opening the day with a welcome protocol, to the Indigenous Education team and Tla’amin Nation for working together to create such a valuable day of learning, to those who courageously shared their learnings with the group at the end of the day and allowed everyone to witness their growth, and to Dr. Marie Wilson for sharing her time and inspiring reflection, compassion, and commitment in all of us. 

Watch a short highlight video from the Indigenous-Focused Learning Day, here.