Education Progress

Success by Six

Success by Six is a Province-wide program designed to assist Aboriginal and First Nations communities help children get a good start. For children up to age six, the program strengthens the emotional, social, cognitive, and physical skills they need as they enter school. Participants like Jessie Nyberg, a coordinator with Aboriginal Infant/Early Childhood Development Program at the First Nations Friendship Center in Vernon,  knows just how critical programs like this are.

“I believe that speaking the traditional language is as important as speaking English,” says Nyberg. “We talked to parents of children of Aboriginal ancestry in the North Okanagan, and they identified language as an issue.” Soon after, the Aboriginal Children’s Book Project in the North Okanagan was born.

In the spirit of the New Relationship, the project brought several people and groups together. “We formed an Aboriginal Table with Success by Six, the Okanagan Friendship Centre, the Okanagan Indian Band and the Spallumcheen Indian Band,” recalls Nyberg. “We hired an artist and a writer to write books for children aged to six, in the Okanagan and Shuswap languages.”

For many children in the program, the resulting book will be their only exposure to these traditional languages. “The benefits for the little children from newborn to three and four years is that they will hear their language and become familiar with it,” says Nyberg. “For the older ones, they will actually learn to speak their language.”

Aboriginal Education in Mission Public Schools

As the District Principal for Aboriginal Education with Mission Public Schools, Colleen Hannah has seen a dramatic change in attitudes across the district in recent years. “There’s been a shift in conversation,” says Hannah. “Instead of me asking teachers if they have an Aboriginal component in their curriculum, now they’re coming to our department and looking for Aboriginal culture and traditions that they can build in.”

The change seems to have come hand-in-hand with the New Relationship. “We’re no longer knocking on doors, trying to go to meetings, and fighting to become part of the conversation,” says Hannah. “Now, we are the conversation. Government has made
Aboriginal education a priority, so it’s becoming a priority for everybody. You hear it everywhere. Rather than asking to be at the table to be part of the conversation, we’re at the table to be part of the work.”

And the changes aren’t stopping there. “It’s now expected that there is an Aboriginal component in our achievement contracts and our school growth plans. It’s now expected that we look at the data and make changes for the better for Aboriginal students, and this makes it better for all students. I’ve noticed that difference. The government isn’t asking ‘Is there an Aboriginal goal?’ It’s demanding ‘What is your Aboriginal goal?’ Now, Aboriginal education is an integral part of our districts, not an add-on piece.”
Hannah sees the focus on Aboriginal education as a clear benefit for all British Columbians. “We are the fastest growing population in Canada. Across the district, our numbers are increasing while the number of non-Aboriginal students is declining. If we collectively don’t address Aboriginal achievement, we’re going to be in big trouble.”

“We are all Aboriginal educators,” she adds sagely. “Some of us have Aboriginal ancestry, but we are all responsible for all our children. It doesn’t matter who we are, we want all of our children to do better.”

The Aboriginal Leadership Certificate Program in Community

“I’ve been a band councillor for 10 years, so a lot of this stuff is really useful,” says Mike Jimmie, a councillor with the Squiala First Nation near Chilliwack and a student in the Justice Institute of British Columbia’s Pilot Aboriginal Leadership Certificate Program in
Community. “I was able to take it to the band office, and there was almost instant roll-over of what I was learning.”

One of the projects under the provincial government’s Aboriginal Special Projects Fund, the two-year post-secondary program was created for Aboriginal people in leadership and management roles with an interest in self-governance, treaty negotiations and human services.

Jimmie is already seeing the positive changes in his leadership style as a result of the program. “I’m more understanding of those whom I represent. Instead of ‘I know what’s good for you and this is a good deal,’ I’ve learned to listen more and keep my ears open
more. I make sure that I carry myself in a respectful way and practise what I preach.”

According to Jimmie, the timing couldn’t be better for programs like this. “My generation has taken over politics in my community,” he says. “We have a more collaborative and inclusive approach, with an open door with the community.”