September 30, 2021 was the first nationally recognized Day of Truth and Reconciliation; before that, Orange Shirt Day was established in 2013 to remember and honour the residential school survivors, and the children who never made it home. At SCIDES, we recognize that we learn, teach and work on the ancestral, traditional and unceded territories of the NłeɁkepmx and Syilx people and we acknowledge our Metis communities and their contributions to the Aboriginal ways of being, knowing and doing in Canada.

Last month was Art Month at SCIDES, and one of the things we talked about in our blog was Aboriginal Art in British Columbia. Aboriginal Art has been around in BC for thousands of years. We are very lucky to live in a province with such rich aboriginal culture and heritage, which is often reflected in the art created by First Nations artists. But of course there is much more to aboriginal culture than arts. This month, we want to celebrate aboriginal education and highlight the programs we offer, as well as the much needed progress that has been made in incorporating the aboriginal voice into our curriculum.