In Kwak’wala, “Sasamans” means “Our Children”. The Sasamans Society is an organization in Quatsino, on Northern Vancouver Island, whose vision is:
“to strengthen our children and families in a community-driven and culturally appropriate manner.” … “The society’s name reflects our intention to listen, acknowledge and honour the voices of the communities that we serve.”
The Sasamans Society Website provides information about the communities it services, elders, education, and more. It also describes the school which is called K’ak’otlats’i, which means “house of learning”. The school consists of 3 teachers, 3 assistant teachers, 1 culture teacher, 1 speech and language teacher, and the principal.
I chose this site to share as it resonated with the recent readings about the Inuit educational changes. Here is an example of a culturally driven and supported school, right here on Vancouver Island. This is an example of how the fate and future of the children is being considered and being made a top priority as they are the ones who will carry on the culture.
