North Peace Secondary School unveils Indigenous display case honoring local First Nations

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — School District 60 (SD60) administration, staff, and local First Nations were represented at North Peace Secondary School (NPSS) on Thursday, October 10th, as the school unveiled the North Peace Indigenous Display Case.

The case takes the theme of a medicine wheel, a traditional Indigenous circle representing historical and generational teachings. 

Doig River First Nation elder Gerry Attachie welcomed those assembled, who included SD60 superintendent Dr. Stephen Petrucci.  

Attachie told attendees of the history between the settler community and the region’s First Nations, citing “good communications” from previous generations of both parties.

“Welcome to Gat Tah Kwą̂,” Attachie said. “It’s what our forefathers used to call it. We used to have a reserve just north of here.  It’s where we kept horses in the winter.”

“They used a dog team in the winter. They went all over, and in the springtime, they turned the dogs loose. The forefathers would camp north of Charlie Lake and fish. As they heard these settlers come in, they were pushed back to Fort St. John and Cecil Lake.”

Inside the case are traditional mocassins, vamps, and literature about local culture, including Blueberry River First Nation (BRFN), Doig River First Nation (DRFN), Halfway River First Nation (HRFN), and the Métis Nation of British Columbia.

Moccasins and vamps were crafted and donated by Elders May Apsassin of BRFN, Rosie Field of HRFN, and DRFN’s Rosie Field.  

According to SD60 Indigenous Principal Pat Jansen, the “importance” of displaying the case speaks volumes to the district’s over 1300 Indigenous students.

“It’s exciting. We have a moral, ethical, and educational responsibility to reflect the first peoples in our communities,” said Jansen.

She said the timing after the Day of Truth and Reconciliation was appropriate, saying the display was the “action piece” and a “piece of reconciliation.”

NPSS Principal Todd Koponyas agreed with that statement, saying the display shows Indigenous students that they are “important” to the school’s lifeblood.

“We have students from all the different communities surrounding and further away,” said Koponyas. “We want students to see themselves in their school and be comfortable.”

The North Peace Indigenous Display case will be showcased at NPSS, located at 9304 86th Street in Fort St. John.

Koponyas says the artifacts can be returned to the donors by request.