On a very rainy September morning the block 1 cohort was able to participate in a ceremonial Fire Circle with artist Clayton Gauthier, and the UHNBC drummers. This was to acknowledge Truth and Reconciliation Day on September 30th, and to take more steps to celebrate Indigenous culture and art. Despite the weather being extremely cold, wet and grey, it couldn’t have been a warmer experience.

First we started around the fire with Clayton Gauthier, a well known local Indigenous artist (you can find some of his artwork at UNBC and in the UNBC bookstore). Clayton shared an experience he had in his academic journey, and talked about how some of his interests were not touched on in his traditional classroom, which, of course, led him to become less and less interested. Stories like this are so common and not just for Indigenous students. Many students feel they have no connection to academia that is taught in traditional schools – which is why it can be so impactful to incorporate the interests of youth in different ways. In my TTUC journey, I actually noticed that the game Minecraft (which is a HUGE game in kids worlds these days) came out with a “Minecraft Education” server and many kids really enjoy this in their computer time at school. Things like that can give students moments to look forward to, especially if they’re struggling throughout the day. The talk with Clayton was really uplifting – he has a way with words.

A little later the UHNBC drummers came by to join us. The drumming was a really emotional experience and one that I am so glad I got to participate in. The UHNBC drummers were so welcoming and really embraced us all with open arms as we sang multiple songs and drummed together. They allowed us to use their extra drums and other instruments to add to the music. They even allowed some of us to make requests for different songs we could sing together. It was moving the way that they would sing the songs, and as we sang the lyrics multiple times, we got to sing along as well. Hearing the voices alone and then in a group (and how loud they became) was beautiful. It really shows that there is power in numbers, and power in your voice. Overall, I thought today was a really impactful way to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day, but also a perfect way to open the program for us as teacher candidates with inclusivity, openness and (despite the cold rain) warmth.