These Okanagan schools are recognized for their work on truth and reconciliation

• Partnered through Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack fund
• Learning how to further reconciliation

Rutland Middle School is just one of many in the country recently deemed a Legacy School through The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, which focuses on cultural understanding and a path to reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

The Legacy School program is a national initiative to engage, empower, and connect teachers and students to further reconciliation through awareness, education, and action.

Indigenous Curriculum Support teacher, Melissa Harris, told Kelowna10 having the title of a legacy school brings forward education of the unique interests, rights, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples are brought to staff and students.

“Being a legacy school means you are committed to action within truth and reconciliation,” she said. “For me that was making sure I’m helping our staff members bring in education that relates to truth and reconciliation.”

For the last three weeks, students learned about the Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada, and seeing firsthand on a floor map where each group of people called home.

“A lot of truth has been absent from the education system. When we look at understanding whose land we’re on, as well as the Indigenous people that we are with in community,” Harris said. “We need to learn more about how colonization impacted education and how it continues to impact education

Harris acknowledges more still need to be done when it comes to truth and reconciliation, especially after the discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools this past year.

“The truth and reconciliation commission came out later with Chief Justice Murray Sinclair working to bring that truth out and collect survivor stories so you can hear from the survivors them selves,” she said. “The 215 is just the beginning. There are many more. It’s something our nation has to continue to put more time and effort into.”

Other schools in the Kelowna recognized as Legacy Schools are Casorso Elementary, Pearson Road Elementary, Ecole Dr Knox Middle School, Springvalley Elementary, Quigley Elementary, Black Mountain Elementary, Rutland Senior Secondary, Heritage Christian School, Studio 9 School of the Arts, and eSchoolBC.