A year after the creation of Indigenous Education Councils (IECs) by the provincial government, through the 2023 amendments to the School Act, these councils are giving Indigenous communities a voice in shaping school policies across British Columbia.
According to Colleen Hannah, director of instruction for Indigenous education at the Sea to Sky School District, the IEC’s influence has already been felt.
"Last year, we invited people from different areas like Feeding Futures, mental health, and early childhood education. The council provided input on how programs should look and how we could engage parents and the community," Hannah said.
Although the IECs are still being formalized, a similar framework, also called the ‘Indigenous Education Council,’ has already been in place. "The main change is that trustees, who previously had voting power, no longer do. They can still participate in discussions, but they will not have a vote," she said.
The decision to bring on programs like Feeding Futures—a B.C. initiative providing $214 million over three years, that started in fall 2023, to support school food programs addresses food insecurity in Indigenous households—also reflects the council's influence.
“For example, someone wanted a presentation on how Feeding Futures dollars were being used, and how we could best engage parents and community members to make sure they were aware of and could access those resources,” Hannah said.
Data from the BC Centre for Disease Control British Columbia shows that 28.2% of Indigenous households experience food insecurity, compared to 11.2% of non-Indigenous households.
Mental health resources for Indigenous students are another priority, with the council helping reduce barriers to access. “Last year we put together an agenda based on what the council members wanted to focus on. Mental health in schools was another big topic—how to reduce barriers for Nation members,” Hannah said.
Indigenous student success has steadily improved over time. The How Are We Doing? report showed a six-year completion rate of 75% for Indigenous students in 2022, compared with 90% for non-Indigenous students in B.C.
Hannah who has both Syilx (Okanagan) and Scottish roots reflected on her own experience in the education system. "Growing up, I didn’t realize how much of my culture was missing from my education. It wasn’t until I was in my teacher training that I realized we hadn’t been taught anything about Indigenous history or culture."
The importance of language preservation also looms large.
“Indigenous languages are disappearing, and that’s heartbreaking,” Hannah said. “Language is deeply tied to culture—many teachings I have received emphasize that you cannot fully understand cultural practices without the language that underpins them. Our languages are complex, often verb-based, and descriptive, making them difficult to translate into English. So, how can we continue important cultural ceremonies if we lose the language that brings them to life?”
The 2016 Canadian Census reports that only 15.6% of Indigenous people in B.C. speak their traditional languages.
"We need to keep striving for better, never assuming the work is done. There is always more to learn about Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and we need to weave that knowledge into the fabric of our public school system.”
Hannah relies on the teachings of her Elders.
"A teaching I’ve received from various Elders is that we should be thinking seven generations ahead when making decisions. So, when we make changes, we need to ask ourselves, 'What will this look like seven generations from now?' That mindset is crucial.”
Why this all matters
According to the Colleges and Institutes Canada, the legacy of residential schools and ongoing structural challenges like food insecurity, limited access to educational institutions, and a lack of childcare continue to impact Indigenous education. These barriers, compounded by intergenerational trauma, have long cast a shadow over the education system for Indigenous students in Canada.
St. Paul's Indian Residential School in North Vancouver was one of 139 federally funded Christian institutions in Canada where thousands of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children were forced to attend as part of a mandatory program to assimilate Indigenous peoples into Canadian society that began in the late nineteenth century. Children were stripped of their culture and native languages and forced to become Christians.
Many people were physically, verbally, and sexually abused in the schools, as well as suffering from serious health problems such as malnutrition because of neglect.
According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) many Indigenous children from communities like Squamish went to St. Paul’s, where they faced the same hardships as other children in residential schools. The impact of that trauma is still felt in the community today, affecting survivors and their families.
Among Indigenous populations, First Nations youth face numerous challenges.
These include higher rates of young parenthood, low-income households, and rural residence, contributing to a disparity in post-secondary completion rates compared with non-Indigenous youth.
As a result of these challenges, non-Indigenous youth are twice as likely (72%) to have completed or recently attended a post-secondary program as First Nations youth (37%), according to Statistics Canada.
Note: The article has been corrected. Colleen Hannah is from Syilx (Okanagan) and not St’át’imc as stated earlier. The Squamish Chief apologizes for this error.
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The Squamish Chief’s Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
