Statement from the Four Houses within School District 61: Songhees Nation, Esquimalt Nation, Metis Nation of Greater Victoria (MNGV), and Urban Peoples’ House Indigenous Advisory (UPHIA) served by VNFC, Surrounded by Cedar Child and Family Services, and Hulitan Family and Community Services Society.

The Four Houses would like to extend gratitude to Dr Kevin Godden for all of the tireless effort, guidance and expertise he put into trying to find a positive way forward in collaboration with us as community and student representatives and the Board of Education of Greater Victoria School District 61 (GVSD). We appreciate the great work he led with integrity and openness.

However, the Four Houses remain collectively concerned about the lack of transparency and meaningful collaboration demonstrated by the GVSD Board. Our concerns were heightened once again by the recent draft and submission of a School Safety Plan to the Minister of Education and the Board’s failure to engage in reconciliatory processes by upholding both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and most importantly the commitments made within the current Education Agreements and SD61 Strategic Plan to consult and communicate respectively.

We were hopeful that the collaborative efforts of the Four Houses, police representatives, school representatives, and the Special Advisor would result in a Safety Plan that would best meet the needs of Indigenous children. Unfortunately, despite a commitment to respectfully collaborate, consult and communicate, the GVSD Board has not upheld their responsibility or their expressed agreement to listen to the voices of community, nor have they communicated transparently through a process which was to be focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of all students.

As a public body representing government, the GVSD Board is expected to uphold these commitments. In working to meet Ministerial Order M339, the GVSD Board has not upheld their responsibilities to the TRC’s Calls to Action, nor their responsibilities to DRIPA. The TRC’s Call to Action 10 calls upon government to “draft new Aboriginal education legislation with the full participation and informed consent of Aboriginal peoples … Enabling parental and community responsibility, control, and accountability.” Further, the UN Declaration calls upon governments to “consult and cooperate in good faith with the Indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.”

The Four Houses’ focus will continue to be on supporting Indigenous students in the education system. We welcome continued engagement with Senior Administration, as well as the Indigenous Education Department as we work towards supporting our students. Our trust in the GVSD Board and their ability to work transparently with Indigenous partners has been eroded through recent events. We hope that actions will be taken to find ways for healing and true reconciliation to occur with all Four Houses.