Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) is located on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Metis. Treaty 6 represents nehiyaw and nehithaw/Cree, nahkawe/Saulteaux, and Oceti Sakowin/Nakota, and Dakota Peoples, whose leaders negotiated with the Crown in 1876, including subsequent adhesions into the 1950s. Today, Treaty 6 is home to diverse First Nations (Status and Non-Status), Inuit, Métis/metis/Michif Peoples, and Indigenous Peoples from all over Turtle Island. PSSD recognizes that our schools span multiple traditional territories and Indigenous communities. We honour the diverse Indigenous nations whose histories, cultures, perspectives, and partnerships inform and shape the way we engage in education and negotiation.
The work of the Local Implementation and Negotiation Committee (LINC) is dedicated to reconciliation and continuous learning and unlearning. Our collective history of colonialism, colonization, Treaties, Scrip, and Land Agreements teaches us that the work of negotiation is one that must entail mutual respect and collaboration to truly benefit and serve our collective interest: our students and communities.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) Calls to Action #62 and #63 include the importance of consulting as well as building our collective capacity to work alongside and within Indigenous knowledges and approaches to education. Daily, we strive to work towards these Calls to Action and use them to guide the work of the LINC. We remain committed to collaboration, listen to each other with open hearts and minds, and bring both knowledge and curiosity to decision making.
Approaching negotiations with a shared commitment to reconciliation and enacting the TRC’s Calls to Actions will help guide us toward solutions built on respect, cooperation, and mutual understanding that works towards equity, justice, and fairness for all. It is our collective hope that we work towards creating a better educational experience for students and teachers.