Before I continue to write this post, I would just like to acknowledge the local Tsimshian people for allowing me to live, play, and learn on this beautiful land.

As a teacher in training residing in the northwest, I have had many educational opportunities to learn about the First Nations Peoples way of life, to learn about their beautiful culture, and to learn about their deeply rooted traditions.  It has been a humbling experience to be able to further my knowledge about our local first people.  So, when I heard we would be attending a Pro-D Day on Indigenous Professional Development, I was naturally very excited.  To be given the chance to learn about the culture, as well as how to incorporate it into our classrooms was a new perspective for me.  I attended multiple workshops, and learned that the possibilities are endless when it comes to bringing First Nations peoples views into the classroom.

The most influential point of the workshop for me was the welcoming ceremony.  At the end, a song was played for us as a closer.  It was called “Savage Daughter.”  If you’ve heard it, you understand why this was such a powerful moment for me. If you haven’t, I suggest you take a listen.