Petition Update – In Response to the May 20, 2026 Letter from SD8 Superintendent Trish Smilie and IEC chair Jared Basil

Strong support for our concerns was clearly visible at the May 12 School Board meeting. Teachers, parents, students, the President of the Nelson & District Teachers’ Association, and community members attended with letters, questions, and serious concerns.

Despite this, there was no communication from the district or the IEC until May 20, when Superintendent Trish Smillie and IEC Chair Jared Basil issued a letter.

This remains the only communication the community has received. It is deeply disheartening that our requests for a pause and consultation appear to have been dismissed, and that the district intends to proceed with restructuring without engaging the people most affected.

It feels unnecessary to dismantle a system that is working well and replace it with uncertainty, doubt, and a loss of trust. Even the IEC’s own April 8 meeting minutes reflect hesitation about major changes:

 

'Director Carriere shared that the SD8 ABED internal review discussed the difficulty there is in

finding staffing in SD8’s remote area. We will need to keep this in mind.’

 

'Discussion took place that SD8 has higher graduation rates than many districts in the province. If SD8 is getting students through to graduation something is working well, so perhaps we don’t want to make too many changes. We want success for all students.’

 

Here is a copy of the letter from May 20 from SD8 and IEC 

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:8ca6a80f-d868-4f0e-a69e-ca8ab67b134e

 

These are the concerns with the letter  (tab on the left of the google doc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFEJIR-5kwhzkVU6QNb4q3Qosw7Ky_16sB8FG7SzaSc/edit?usp=sharing

 

Here is a template if you chose to send letters to the various officials listed below (tab on the left of the google doc)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFEJIR-5kwhzkVU6QNb4q3Qosw7Ky_16sB8FG7SzaSc/edit?usp=sharing

PLEASE NOTE the following is a  Legal Requirement (Bill 40 & IEC Order)

 

Required IEC Representation Under Bill 40

 

1. Representation from First Nations whose territory the district operates on is mandatory. IEC Order s. 2(1)(a)

2. Representation from Indigenous parents of Indigenous students is required. IEC Order s. 2(1)(c)

3. The Board must review IEC membership annually to ensure compliance with representation requirements. IEC Order s. 2(3)

4. When representation is missing, the Board must take corrective action (invite Nations, appoint members, or otherwise fill vacancies). IEC Order s. 2(4)

5. IEC decisions must be informed by the communities directly impacted by the programs and services under discussion. Purpose clause of Bill 40 & IEC Order preamble

6. IEC must provide guidance and approval in a manner consistent with local Indigenous needs, identity, and community priorities. IEC Order s. 3(1)

7. IEC must support culturally safe, relationship‑based decision‑making. Bill 40 intent clause

What This Means for SD8
Based on available information:

The IEC has not included representation from all Nations whose territory SD8 operates on

Indigenous parents in Nelson have not been included

The IEC has not met with the Indigenous families most affected

The IEC has not visited the schools where programs are being changed

The IEC has not reviewed the cultural programming being lost

If these conditions are accurate, then the IEC is not properly constituted under Bill 40. If the IEC is not properly constituted, then:

Its approval of staffing changes and program restructuring may not be valid under the IEC Order.

 

 

What can you do? 

 

•  Call and write the local decision makers with your concerns (school board, IEC, trustees) 
  
  
• Write and call some or all of the following government officials,  provincial advocates and service providers.  I have included a basic template, feel free to use it or edit it to reflect the message you would like to convey.

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HFEJIR-5kwhzkVU6QNb4q3Qosw7Ky_16sB8FG7SzaSc/edit?usp=sharing
  
  

• Keep sharing this petition. Our voices are the only way through this. Together we can turn this around.

 

Trish Smilie
Superintendent of Schools/Chief Executive Office
superintendentoffice@sd8.bc.ca
Media 250-505-7005 
Admin 250-352-6681 

 

Laury Carriere
Director of Instruction- Indigenous Education & Learning Services

250-352-6681

 laury.carriere@sd8.bc.ca

 

Indigenous Education Council (IEC) chair

Jared Basil

jbasil@ktunaxa.org

 

SD8 Trustees

SD8-Trustees@sd8.bc.ca

 

Board of Education
School District No. 8, Kootenay Lake
811 Stanley Street
Nelson, BC  V1L 1N8
Ph:  250-352-6681
Fax: 250-352-6686
Email: board.education@sd8.bc.ca

 

BC indigenous education 
EDUC.AboriginalEducation@gov.bc.ca

Honourable Lisa Beare
 Minister of Education and Child Care
 PO Box 9045 Stn Prov Govt
 Victoria, BC V8W 9E2  
Phone: 250-356-8247
 E-mail the Minister: ECC.Minister@gov.bc.ca

 

Kathryn Krishna
 Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Child Care
 PO Box 9179 Stn Prov Govt
 Victoria, BC V8W 9H8
Fax: 250-953-4985E-
email the Deputy Minister: DM.Education@gov.bc.ca

 

Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities
Kootenay Central MLA
433 Josephine Street
Nelson, BC V1L 1W4
Brittny.Anderson.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Phone: (250) 354-5944 Toll Free: +1 (833) 256-6270

 

First Nations Education Steering Committee

K-12 Policy and Early Childhood Education
policy@fnesc.ca 

British Columbia School Trustees Association 
https://bcsta.org/contact/ (must submit letter on website)
4th floor – 1580 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC V6J 5K9
Phone: 604-734-2721 

Indigenous relations and Reconciliation
Honourable Spencer Chandra Herbert
Email: IRR.Minister@gov.bc.ca

The Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Vancouver Office
604-660-2421 Victoria Office 250-387-6121 Toll-free Office 1-800-880-1022
Email IRRInfo@gov.bc.ca
Mailing
PO Box 9100 Stn. Prov. Govt.
Victoria BC V8W 9B1

 

(original post )

What's happening?

School District 8 (SD8) has announced that it will eliminate all Indigenous Education teacher positions in elementary and middle schools for the 2026–2027 school year,  including  Trafalgar, South Nelson, Rosemont, Hume, Wildflower, WEG, and Blewett.  These roles will be replaced with support‑only positions (EAs). This decision was made without consulting Indigenous families, students, or the affected school communities.

The newly formed Indigenous Education Council (IEC) is comprised of two members of The Ktunaxa Nation, two members of The Syilx Nation, two members of The Secwepemc Nation and one member of The West Kootenay Metis Society. They did not visit the Nelson schools before making this decision. No Sinixt or Nelson area representation was included in the process. The new model they have scheduled is based on a model from Creston schools. Nelson is not Creston.  

 

How The Indigenous Education Program Impacts Schools
The AbEd program at Trafalgar and other sd8 schools has become a source of connection, learning, and community building. It's impact extends far beyond the Indigenous student population. Through events like the Children’s Heartbeat Parade, Moosehide Campaign Day, Métis Day, restorative circles with Elders, cultural workshops and school‑wide teachings, the program has helped create a more respectful, inclusive, and culturally aware school environment for all students. Teachers, administrators, and families have seen a noticeable cultural shift:

• Stronger relationships between students and staff
• Increased understanding of Indigenous history and culture
• More inclusive school‑wide practices
• A sense of pride and community that benefits every student 

Eliminating Indigenous Education teachers doesn’t just remove support for Indigenous students—it removes a pillar of cultural learning and community connection for the entire school.

 

What We Are Asking For
We are calling on The SD8 school board, Trustees and the Indigenous Education Council to:

• Pause all changes to Indigenous Education staffing in elementary and middle schools.
• Hold a public consultation with Nelson and area Indigenous families, students, and community members.
• Visit the affected schools to understand the cultural programming, relationships and community impact that will be lost.
• Ensure LOCAL voices are included in decisions that directly affect our children.

Why Your Signature Matters
Community voices have changed decisions in this district before—including protecting Wildflower’s K‑9 structure and stopping the closure of Reach. We can do it again. By signing this petition, you stand with Indigenous students, families and community members who deserve to be heard.

 

 Sign now to protect Indigenous Education teachers and ensure families, elders, community members and teachers in the Nelson area are consulted.