The Free Press: Esk’etemc raises concerns over Cariboo-Chilcotin school response plan

Esk'etemc Chief and Council say they were not included in the development of the SD 27 response plan to a review prompted by their concerns.

Esk'etemc Chief and Council are disappointed with a release from the Cariboo-Chilcotin School District 27 (SD 27) on the Response Plan to a ministry-ordered review of the district conducted earlier this year.

"The Response Plan claims to address systemic racism and improve school climate, yet it was developed in a way that perpetuates the very exclusion and disregard for Indigenous voices that it purports to resolve," wrote Esk'etemc Chief and Council in an open letter published on Wednesday, Sept. 10. 

Esk'etemc (Alkali Lake) is a community located 45 minutes southwest of Williams Lake whose leaders have been vocal about concerns around racism and violence in SD 27. Their efforts, combined with those of the Concerned Parents and Caregivers of Williams Lake (CPWL), formed in March 2024, culminated in a peaceful rally last April at the school district's doorstep. 

"I called for an investigation...instead, a review was completed," said Kukpi7 (Chief) Fred Robbins in an interview with the Tribune, reiterating what he and others have said ever since the Minister of Education and Child Care Lisa Beare ordered Safer Schools Together (SST) to conduct a climate and culture review of SD 27. 

A summary of the review, its findings and recommendations was completed in late spring, and the school district published a plan on how it would follow through with the recommendations in late August. Among the many elements of the plan was to provide SST presentations to students, which would be selected according to needs identified by the review. Two of these presentations will be on bullying and on online safety, while a third will be selected with input from the District Parent Advisory Council. There will also be corresponding sessions for parents to attend, and the district's superintendent, Cheryl Lenardon, encouraged families to refer to the online ERASE platform for additional resources. 

"This is not a one-and-done," Lenardon said about the response plan in an interview with the Tribune earlier this month. She said to take note of the change of date when looking at the documents posted on the district's website, as new iterations of the response plan are likely to come as it develops. While this may leave room for changes to be made in collaboration with stakeholders, the document was nevertheless developed without the direct involvement of Esk'etemc and CPWL.

"Despite repeated requests to be meaningfully included in the process, Esk’etemc and other Nations were not consulted or engaged in the development of this Response Plan - even though it directly affects our children, families, and communities," wrote Chief and Council. “We want to see the CPWL group and anyone with concerns be directly involved,” Robbins told the Tribune. 

When asked about why Esk’etemc and other Nations were not consulted, Lenardon responded that the plan is very new, but that it outlines how working groups are central to the work which is being or needs to be done to address concerns around anti-Indigenous racism and healthy school environments. In fact, Lenardon said work had already begun in June with the Indigenous Education Council (IEC) to work together on these fronts. 

Accompanying Esk'etemc's open letter is a document which outlines what Chief and Council believe is missing from SD 27's response plan and what it should explicitly state. 

Among these items was a "clear and courageous" recognition of systemic anti-Indigenous racism within the school district, and for "bold" actions to address that. Chief and Council also said the plan should note how it aligns with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, specifically Calls to Action 10, 12, 62 and 63.

“SD 27 will have to prioritize anti-racism education and ensure a culturally safe learning environment for Indigenous students,” Robbins said. 

In a conversation with the Tribune earlier this month, Lernardon highlighted the response plan's overt attention to anti-racism. While the district has typically focused on increasing representation in the last few years, it now intends to implement a more holistic anti-racism strategy, along with an anti-Indigenous racism strategy.

"The IEC has an essential role in it," Lenardon said about the anti-Indigenous racism strategy, adding that a member of the IEC will also sit on an anti-racism committee. She said she couldn't say what the final outcome of this work would be because it must be co-developed with the IEC and the District Anti-Racism committee. 

"It has potential, but there's no monitoring," Robbins went on to say about SD 27's response plan. Notably, Esk'etemc Chief and Council said the response plan should provide room for community engagement and oversight. 

Lenardon said monitoring is intrinsic to the process set out by the response plan, where it focuses on working with First Nations to build initiatives which address issues and concerns identified as specific to First Nations. She said there are several recommendations under this section with measurement and status updates, and the existing IEC and Local Education Agreements are spaces in which the district can work together with First Nations. She said parents also have access to their Parent Advisory Councils, who serve as the voice of parents at the school and district levels. 

Lenardon noted that work is also being done on the district's communication plan and protocol to improve engagement between the district, its stakeholders and the general public. Focus is being placed on making communications clear, introducing opportunities for input and creating spaces for people to ask questions. Some of this work was already in progress, but was accelerated as the review was released. 

"I think that's just going to smooth out any of the misunderstandings," she said.

However, Kukpi7 Robbins doesn't seem convinced and said he still wants to see a thorough investigation into the school district directly involving First Nations.

"We want to be part and parcel to make sure our children have a good time in the education system," he said. Particularly, Robbins feels the school district's process to file a complaint leads nowhere, and if that's truly the case, he wants to see what can be done to fix that. "That's what the investigation would flesh out," the Chief said. "The investigation would provide us with the correct information for creating a process to file complaints." 

Robbins was careful to note his appreciation for the many teachers and support workers who are doing a wonderful job for children in the education system. Lenardon also highlighted a new program being developed to encourage aspiring leaders to prepare for becoming vice principals or principals in the school district. 

In late August, the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) hosted a conversation with SD 27 leadership, SST and Esk'etemc leadership. This was after the minister postponed attending an in-community meeting on the matter with the Esk'etemc Chief and Council, CPWL and Grand Chief Stewart Phillip from the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. 

“We had some headway on discussions of the report, but we still need to meet with the minister again,” Robbins said. In an email to the Tribune, MECC said Minister Beare plans to host a roundtable with all First Nation leaders local to the SD 27 area around the time of the B.C. Cabinet & First Nations Leaders’ Gathering in November. MECC also said work is underway to satisfy a request from Kukpi7 Robbins to meet one-on-one with the minister.