Indigenous Delegation Calls for Accountability and Action from School District 27

Members of the CPWL group with representation from Esk'etemc at the School District 27's Sept 22, 2025 meeting.

Williams Lake, B.C.: Indigenous leadership from Esk’etemc led a delegation to the School District 27 (SD 27) Board of Education meeting on the evening of September 22, 2025, to call for immediate and transparent action regarding ongoing systemic issues of racial violence, discrimination, harassment, and bullying, and to ensure the meaningful implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action.

“We came to this meeting prepared to discuss truth and reconciliation, sharing that reconciliation requires action,” shared Esk’etemc Kukpi7, Fred Robbins. “We also shared that Indigenous peoples are not here to be consulted after the fact. We are here to lead, to help hold systems accountable, and to call for reconciliation to be more than a word - it must be a lived reality for every young learner in School District 27.”

While each of the School Board trustees and leadership wore orange shirts to commemorate Orange Shirt Day, the meeting also highlighted the frustration of Indigenous representatives concerning the lack of communication and transparency from both the School District and the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) to Indigenous communities. Esk’etemc leadership noted that September 24, 2025, will mark the one-year anniversary since a unanimous resolution was passed at the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) calling for an investigation into racism, discrimination, and bullying at School District 27, to which no plan of action has been received.

“We remain committed to building a future rooted in equality and justice,” noted Kukpi7 Robbins.  “Relationships begin by facing the truth, and some of those truths are hard to face. The Board must understand that the education system was responsible for taking away the language, culture, and traditions of Indigenous peoples. So, in the spirit of reconciliation, we are asking to be included in the work and for full transparency, particularly regarding the identity and roles of the ‘experts’ guiding the roll out of the climate and culture review and response plan.”

At the meeting, Board Chair Angie Delainey shared that the School District Board of Education had its next in-camera meeting on October 6, 2025, and after that it would provide Esk’etemc with a written response to the open letter the Nation sent on September 10, 2025, as well as questions raised in the delegation.

Esk’etemc asked the Board of Education the following eight questions:

1. September 24, 2025, marks the one-year anniversary of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs’ (UBCIC) Resolution calling for an investigation into bullying, harassment, discrimination and racism at School District 27. UBCIC has also sent a follow up letter addressed to Superintendent Cheryl Lenardon and the Board of Education care of Angie Delainey on September 11, 2025, regarding ongoing issues of racism, discrimination, and bullying in School District 27. Will there be a response to UBCIC from the School District and when do you anticipate that happening?

2. Esk’etemc has been told that there are experts and mentors who are helping School District 27 through the Climate and Culture review specific to guidance, leadership, community engagement, and communications. We have asked the Ministry of Education and Child Care who these experts and mentors are, and they have pointed us back to School District 27. Who are these experts and mentors, and what are their roles?

   
   

3. How will the Board ensure that the TRC Calls to Action particularly #10, #11, #12, #62, and #63 are actively integrated into the District’s Climate and Culture Response Plan?

   
   

4. What mechanisms are in place to ensure Indigenous families and communities are meaningfully involved in decision-making around curriculum, language instruction, and early childhood education?

   
   

5. What specific steps is School District 27 taking to close the achievement gap for Indigenous students within one generation, as outlined in Call to Action #10?

   
   

6. How is School District 27 supporting educators and staff in developing intercultural competency, anti-racism skills, and knowledge of Indigenous history and law, as required by Call to Action #62?

   
   

7. Will the School District 27 Board of Education commit to an annual public review of its progress on Indigenous education, including curriculum development, teacher training, and student outcomes, in alignment with Call to Action #63?

   
   

8. How will the School District 27 Board of Education be held accountable to the Esk’etemc and other Indigenous Nations for the success and well-being of their children in School District 27 schools?

Kukpi7 Robbins shared that, “We will remain optimistic and determined. We look forward to the School District 27 leadership demonstrating its commitment to accountability, to change, for a response to us and to the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, and more importantly, to their action.”