WILLIAMS LAKE TRIBUNE: Esk'etemc seeks answers, action from Cariboo Chilcotin School District

The chief and the education coordinator for the community of Esk'etemc brought ten questions to School District 27's Sept. 22 board meeting.

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One year after the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) passed a resolution calling for an investigation into School District 27 (SD 27), Esk'etemc (Alkali Lake) wants answers. 

“Relationships begin by facing the truth, and some of those truths are hard to face," said Kukpi7 (Chief) Fred Robbins in a press release following Esk'etemc's delegation to the SD 27 board of education's Sept. 22 regular meeting. The Chief is seeking answers to questions posed during the delegation, as well as responses to letters from the Esk'etemc Chief and Council and from the UBCIC.

The letters came after a tumultuous year for the school district, which faced allegations of having a culture permeated by racism and bullying. SD 27 released a response plan in August 2025 to act on recommendations put forward by Safer Schools Together (SST), which conducted a review of the district's culture and climate. The response plan is a "living document" which will be updated as necessary, but Esk'etemc Chief and council expressed frustration with not being involved in the development of the response plan. 

“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," Kukpi7 Robbins said in the release.

Reminding the district of the education system's role in Indigenous peoples' loss of language, culture and traditions, Robbins said they wanted to be included in the work. Esk'etemc also emphasized a need for transparency in the district's ongoing work, asking for the identity of the experts who ran the review and of the experts whom they've been told are supporting the district in implementing change. 

Esk'etemc's education coordinator, Calvin Dubray, was part of the delegation and told the Tribune this was a particular point of frustration for Esk'etemc, as they were told by the Ministry of Education and Child Care (MECC) to direct their questions about experts to the school district but he said they have not responded.

"This is a simple question," Dubray said. 

The delegation also called for the meaningful implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 2015 Calls to Action, notably #10, #11, #12, #62 and #63. They questioned how these calls to action are actively integrated into the district's response plan, focusing on what steps are being taken to close the achievement gap and to support staff in developing intercultural competency. The delegation also asked whether the school would commit to an annual public review of its progress on Indigenous education. 

Members of the Concerned Parents and Caregivers of Williams Lake (CPWL) were also present at the meeting in support of their cause and to stand with Esk'etemc. Member Danielle Colbourne addressed the board at the end of the meeting during a question-and-answer period, the board's first since policy changes were passed in June. 

Colbourne requested a formal meeting with the district and CPWL, and also requested answers to why the school district withdrew from an in-community meeting scheduled in July, intended to bring Esk'etemc, UBCIC, CPWL, MECC and SD 27 together to discuss how to move forward. 

In the press release, Kukpi7 Robbins said Esk'etemc will remain positive 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."

Board Chair Angie Delainey said during the meeting that questions brought forward by the delegation as well as Esk'etemc's open letter would be responded to following the next in-camera meeting scheduled for Oct. 6. SD 27 Superintendent Cheryl Lenardon told the Tribune that Indigenous student success would continue to be elevated as a priority, that staff begin the school year with learning about local First Nation cultures and that the district looks forward to continuing its work with the Indigenous Education Council and through Local Education Agreements. 

"These are really important collaborative tables that can help direct our efforts, identify further needs, and keep us all accountable to Truth and Reconciliation," Lenardon said. 

MECC told the Tribune it hosted a conversation with ministry executives, SD 27 leadership, SST and Esk'etemc leaders on Aug. 29, and that Minister Lisa Beare has since met one-on-one with Kukpi7 Robbins. The ministry also said invitations will soon be delivered to Robbins and all First Nation leaders local to the SD 27 area for a roundtable with the minister, planned near the time of the First Nations Leadership Gathering conference in November.