School District 82 has finally issued their response to a letter addressing a racist incident at a Kitimat school from November 1st.
That incident saw a Mount Elizabeth Secondary teacher mock a young Haisla student for wearing his traditional regalia to picture day.
In response, the First Nations Leadership council sent a letter to the Board asking what they planned to do to address the situation.
At their November 24th meeting, the Board voted to send the letter to the Haisla to prepare a joint response, but remained mum on any actions they planned to take.
In the letter, the District acknowledges the existence of racism in their schools, and agreed unequivocally that it must be addressed and eliminated.
They outlined 8 steps that they plan to take now and in the future to help eliminate racism towards Indigenous students.
A few of those steps include: cultural safety and competency training led by local First Nations next September, a comprehensive review of Indigenous representation, an anti-racism commitment in their strategic plan, a human rights exemption allowing them to prioritize hiring Indigenous staff, and more.
A full copy of the letter, which you can read at this link, will be presented during their regular Board meeting tomorrow.
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