Indigenization Process

Dear Selwyn House Community,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the indigenization process at Selwyn House School. Aligned with our Veritas vision, supporting the school’s mission and embodying our educational philosophy, the administration team and I are unanimously committed to this significant initiative. Through this multi-year process, our vision is to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing, being, doing, and relating into the educational, organizational, cultural and social structures of the school. It is essential that this is done in a sustainable, personalized, and meaningful way.

Since the publication of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) summary report on residential schools in 2015, there has been an awakening to the true history of Canada, as well as the contemporary issues that Indigenous peoples face across our nation. Our awakening here at Selwyn House has been many years in the making. While we have had Indigenous students within our community for decades, our most recent catalyst for change comes from lessons learned in the development of our outdoor education program.

We are making a long-term commitment to indigenizing our school. In 2019, we formed an Indigenous Student Committee (ISC), with the aim of better supporting our Indigenous students at SHS. We have worked continually with Wahiakatste Diome-Deer, educational consultant, who joined our team to help us develop our indigenization plan. Diome-Deer has collaborated with our Director of Experiential Education, Courtney Prieur, former Outdoor Education Coordinator, Cory Deegan, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, Eden Schwartz, and me to develop concrete objectives for meaningful change. 

As a nation, we have been called to action to prioritize the recommendations set forth by the TRC. This process is a commitment that recognizes our dedication to anti-racism education. It does not take away from our efforts to embrace multiculturalism. In fact, we can and should be engaged with both simultaneously.

Indigenization benefits all of us. It is neither a uniquely Indigenous issue, nor is it undertaken only for the benefit of Indigenous students. Through this process, the Selwyn House community as a whole will gain a richer understanding of the world and of our place within it becoming more aware of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives. Through this approach, we are committing to a more just future for all.

Michael Downey
Headmaster