Acwsalcta, a Nuxalk word that means “a place of learning.” This week we had the honour of spending time at the k-12 First Nations school in Bella Coola. As soon as you see the school building, you get a sense of how this school fosters the Nuxalk culture. The outside of the building itself is full of beautiful Nuxalk artwork which continues as you walk into the grand, wide open entrance, full of glass cases of carved masks.
Again, we were greeted by a friendly smile. Everyone in Bella Coola is so nice and genuinely happy to meet you! The principal gave us a quick tour of the school and introduced us to as many staff as possible as everyone was busily getting ready for their Monday.
The beginning of each week starts with “circle time” which we were lucky enough to be a part of. All of the classes are brought down to the gym and are led by the cultural staff including an elder, in giving thanks and recognizing certain staff, students, and events. We were warmly welcomed by the principal and as the cultural staff led the students in a song, I was graciously given a hand made drum to beat along to. I felt so honoured to be included and immersed into this great culture and only hoped that I could keep a beat. Our music teacher would have been so proud.
As the week continued, I was invited into several different classes and I got to experience a variety of grade levels from preschool to grade 5. It was so amazing to see how the Nuxalk culture is embedded in these student’s lives. From the language, to art, to song and dance, these students are lucky to have an amazing cultural staff that can infuse their curriculum with these valuable lessons.
This was very interesting to read. Looks like a pretty amazing place.