North Shore News interviews siʔáḿθɘt vice-principal Sarah Martz

North Shore News interviews siʔáḿθɘt vice-principal Sarah Martz

News & UpdatesNorth Shore News interviews siʔáḿθɘt vice-principal Sarah Martz

North Shore News interviews siʔáḿθɘt vice-principal Sarah Martz

The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), is implementing a new graduation requirement.

Expected to take effect in the 2023-24 school year, this requirement will ensure all secondary students complete Indigenous-focused coursework before they graduate from B.C.’s K-12 education system.

The North Shore News interviewed Tsleil-Waututh Nation School vice-principal Sarah Martz to discuss the new Indigenous-focused graduation requirements and what these changes mean to TWN. They also review what Tsleil-Waututh currently does to incorporate Indigenous education into the current school curriculum at siʔáḿθɘt. 

The TWN School’s curriculum is mostly Indigenous-focused, Martz said, with many students taking Indigenous credits from Grade 10 upwards towards graduation. When thinking about what the requirement means to students across the province, Martz noted, “It makes sure it’s not just Indigenous students taking these courses… and I think makes sure that these courses are actually being taught in public, private, any school offering the B.C. curriculum.”

“I’m hoping that the courses keep developing as well and that the courses themselves will be put together by Indigenous people and the First Nations Education Steering Committee to verify that the content is accurate,” she said. “Because in the past, how social studies have been taught … it didn’t really highlight the vast diversity of peoples, of languages. It wasn’t an accurate representation of Indigenous people.”

Martz said the implementation of the requirement will help move away from misinformation about Indigenous people and will help to build stronger relationships with host nations on whose territory students and school communities live.

Read the full article here: https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/bc-indigenous-focused-graduation-requirement-a-welcomed-step-towards-reconciliation-5167048

Latest Articles

We are thrilled to announce that Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Coastal Community of Care have won a 2023 BC Quality Award in the “Coping with Transition from Life” category for their work towards providing high-quality, culturally safe palliative care to community members at any level and point in the care continuum.
Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s Treaty, Lands and Resources (TLR) department has recently completed several marine restoration projects that took place over four years in protecting Burrard Inlet. These projects were done to help restore the health of Burrard Inlet by providing habitat for fish and other critters.
On March 7, 2023, Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s Council members and staff welcomed UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Francisco Calí Tzay for a special meeting.
MST Development, featuring Chief Jen Thomas of Tsleil-Waututh Nation, alongside Chief Wayne Sparrow of Musqueam Band, and Council Chairperson Khelsilem of Squamish Nation, has been named top 3 in Vancouver Magazine’s 22nd Annual Power 50 for 2023.
‘Protect Our Land’ is a song written and recorded by a group of our youth from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation siʔáḿθɘt school. The song and accompanying music video were produced by N’we Jinan, a travelling, Indigenous-led studio that works with First Nations youth across Canada.
Congratulations to Warrior Plumbing and Curtis Thomas, President and Business Development, for winning a 2022 BC Indigenous Business Award for “Business of the Year 11+ person enterprise”.