On one of the lowest tide days of the year, a black and white canoe launched into Snug Cove.
Holding nine students, a few parents, educational assistants and Squamish elder Bob Baker, wooden paddles propelled the canoe from shore.
Standing on shore, drumming and watching the silhouette of her students, was Jada Harry.
The Aboriginal Success Teacher has been working with Metis, Inuit and First Nations students in the West Vancouver school district since 2014. Her job encompasses all of the elementary schools in the district, eight in total, and on this day, she has nearly 50 students.
Harry says that this is a huge change from just five years ago. Her student numbers were in the 20s, and her job was more as an academic aid, and mostly with at-risk youth.
Now the program has shifted to be about culture sharing and relationship building.
Harry is married into the Squamish Nation and operates on traditional Squamish territory, but her students are of diverse backgrounds. The only requirement is that they self-identify as Indigenous.
“Since my role has changed to culture sharing, it’s amazing to see how the kids have built relationships and tolerance. They notice when I’m not there,” she says.
Harry has a class each week with students where students can bond with one another and do activities.
Thursdays are Harry’s day on Bowen, where she regularly meets with about 12 students.
Islander Jane Miller’s godson Cree, to whom she is guardian, attends Harry’s class.
“We greatly value that Cree has the opportunity to be part of a small school-based group dedicated to his indigenous heritage,” she says.
“Jada is kind, creative and knowledgeable and the children feel safe with her,” says Miller, “she is inclusive and inviting to parents as well and also reaches out to community resources and appreciates each child.”
“We do all sorts of crafty things,” says Harry. They’ve made medicine pouches, dream catchers and medicine wheels, as well as doing activities such as the introduction to ocean canoeing in Snug Cove.
Bob Baker is a cultural advisor to the West Vancouver School District. He was skippering the canoe, “Dancing Raven.”
Baker said that while they were paddling he told the children about the significance of the area and how it was used back in the day.
“It was a blast,” he said in an email. “It’s always fun introducing our canoe culture.”
