Everyone has accumulated life lessons, and School District 83 is having Indigenous Knowledge Keepers share theirs with students.

Director of Instruction (Indigenous Education) Chelsea Prince explained the term Knowledge Keeper is used instead of Elder, as they can be of any age and have gained their understandings through experience, from family or through education.

鈥淲e have a well-established Knowledge Keeper Program in our district, which provides schools with the opportunity to invite members of the local Indigenous communities into classrooms to share their cultural expertise with students,鈥� Prince said in a media release, 鈥渨hich increases the sense of belonging for students of Indigenous ancestry.鈥�

Additionally, the district holds events three times a year for the Knowledge Keepers at the District Education Support Centre, with the latest being a Christmas lunch and Secw茅pemc language bingo on Dec. 6. Special guest Elail Neigbhor-Celesta, a Grade 12 student at Salmon Arm Secondary who has been learning the language from her grandmother, called the bingo game in Secw茅pemcts铆n.

鈥淢any Knowledge Keepers are residential school survivors, or may have had challenging school experiences in their youth,鈥� Prince said. 鈥淎nd this program, along with these events, is one step we take in helping members of the Indigenous community fell like they belong as part of the School District 83 community.鈥�

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