CHARLA HUBER
It’s exciting to see Indigenous people running in elections — their voices are important
My first memories of school aren’t from my first day of kindergarten, they are of watching my mother studying and working toward her high school diploma. By the time I finished Grade 3, my mother had a university degree in education.
Now, my daughter has entered Grade 3, and I think about her future and the choices she’ll make. I think about the opportunities that will be presented to her in the public-school system and the opportunities I hope she’ll make for herself.
With the municipal and school district elections coming up, it’s an exciting time to hear platforms of new candidates and hear how incumbents hope to continue to shape our communities and our schools.
Recently, I learned that Russ Chipps, who is chief of Beecher Bay First Nation, is running for school board trustee for the Sooke School District. If you’ve read my columns, you likely recall that Chipps is often a voice I have included. We cross paths a lot through a variety of projects we work on. He’s a strong Indigenous leader, personable and comes from a place of fairness. He works to ensure even the smallest voices are heard.
My favourite quality of his is that he makes time to help young people reach their goals. He has told me many times that the children of his community and our region are his priority. I know a lot of people say that, but he means it.
When we started talking about his school board campaign, he mentioned something I’d never heard from him before. He graduated from high school in 2011 from the Westshore Centre for Learning and Training, an alternative school and adult-education centre operated by the Sooke School District.
Chipps has been the chief of Beecher Bay First Nation for 14 years. He had already held the title for several years when he decided to work toward his high school diploma.
“I was going to all the high-school graduations in the district and watching all the kids graduate,” said Chipps. “I was telling everyone to go to school and get their diploma, and I decided it was time to put my money where my mouth was.”
Chipps went to elementary, middle and secondary school in the Sooke school district. His three children have also attended elementary, middle and secondary school in the district.
Chipps has childhood memories of being pulled out of class to work in special classes with other Indigenous students.
“I didn’t like being pulled out of class,” Chipps said. “I’ve seen the school district change and evolve over the years and do things differently.”
We are both members of the SD62 Aboriginal Education Council, and I’ve seen his efforts in improving the school system for not only Indigenous students, but all students.
It’s still not very common to have Indigenous people running in elections, and I get excited when I see it. Indigenous voices and perspectives are important to include in all aspects of our society.
The most common feedback I receive from Times Colonist readers is when I write about Indigenous issues. The majority of the emails I receive are from non-Indigenous people thanking me for profiling Indigenous role models, sharing an Indigenous perspective and telling Indigenous stories.
I’ve received comments such as: “These types of positive personal stories are very powerful and help bridge the divide … [from] A random white European TC reader;” “I’m a non-Indigenous resident of Victoria, and I’m grateful for the chance to learn about Indigenous cultures and communities through the topics you choose for your column;” and “Articles like yours help to educate, inform and understand. Please keep up the good work.”
I am grateful that people are interested in what I have to stay, I know there are so many other Indigenous voices that need to be heard, too. From the reader emails I receive, I know non-Indigenous people want to hear these voices, and they want these voices to make an impact.
When Indigenous names are on the ballot this October, I encourage everyone to take some time to read about the candidates, learn their platforms and make an educated decision. Voting Indigenous people into governing roles is a great way to add new perspectives to our communities.
Indigenous voices aren’t just bettering Indigenous communities, they are helping shape all of our communities.