Williams Lake Tribune: Esk'etemc seeks to reschedule meeting after minister withdraws

A meeting was held on July 30 to hear about concerns of bullying and racism in SD 27 and to discuss ways forward.

Esk'etemc Kukpi7 Fred Robbins starts the meeting with singing and drumming.

The community of Esk'et is once again requesting to meet with B.C.'s education minister Lisa Beare after she withdrew from a meeting to discuss concerns in School District 27 (SD 27). 

Esk'etemc, about an hour southwest of Williams Lake, went ahead with a meeting on Wednesday, July 30 despite learning from the minister five days prior that she was no longer able to attend. School district leadership also withdrew from the meeting. 

“Together with UBCIC and CPWL, we were looking forward to hosting Minister Beare in our community after she accepted our invitation, and are disappointed she, and then the School District, withdrew from the meeting,” said Esk’etemc Kukpi7 (Chief) Fred Robbins. 

Present at the meeting were community leadership, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, spokespersons from the Concerned Parents and Caregivers of Williams Lake, local MLA Lorne Doerkson and more.

A press release from Esk'etemc notes that many of the attendees took time off work and arranged child care in order to attend the meeting, and it was decided they would go forward to honour the voices of people expressing concerns around racial violence, discrimination, bullying and harassment in the school district. 

The meeting included a presentation of Esk'etemc's history and culture, information about the role of truth to move reconciliation forward in education and discussion around a recent review of SD 27 ordered by the ministry and conducted by Safer Schools Together (SST). There were also testimonies shared during the meeting by grandparents, parents and a student. 

“I recently graduated from high school in another community but was previously a student in a high school in the Cariboo Chilcotin. Back when I was attending school in School District 27, I wanted to end my life because of the bullying and harassment I endured and moved for my own mental health and well-being, away from my community and my family. The experience I had at my new school in another district was completely different and free from bullying and harassment. I wanted to attend today to help share the stories of victims, me included, who were left unheard and unsupported by School District 27," said a student who is remaining unnamed for their privacy and safety. 

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, who travelled to Esk'et from Vancouver to attend the meeting, praised the individuals who spoke up during the meeting to share their story. 

"Racism is an ugly and deeply rooted issue that requires the collective power and unity of us all to combat and overcome it," Grand Chief Phillip said, adding he looked forward to working with Esk'etemc and the minister to fully implement the recommendations put forward by the SST review. 

Robbins said he will once again be requesting to meet with the minister to address racial violence and bullying in SD 27 and will also be looking to meet with school district leadership to discuss how they can collaborate going forward.