School District #71 (Comox Valley) lies in the beautiful unceded and ancestral territory of the K’ómoks First Nation who have been the caretakers of the land we live, work, and play on since time immemorial.
Our Indigenous Education Department team consists of 40+ staff who work alongside school-based staff to enhance educational services and outcomes for our 1750+ Indigenous students across our School District and throughout BC connected to our online school, North Island Distance Education School (NIDES). Our Indigenous students self identify as First Nation, Métis, or Inuit.
We strive to enhance services to our Indigenous students as well as supporting teachers, administrators and support staff in deepening their understanding of Indigenous cultures and world views by embedding these principles into the daily school experiences for all following the goals of our current Indigenous Education Enhancement Agreement;
- Goal 1: Foster Indigenous students’ sense of belonging, cultural identity, and self-esteem.
- Goal 2: Foster academic success of all Indigenous students.
- Goal 3: Foster awareness of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit culture /teachings with all students.
- Goal 4: Foster Indigenous students’ confidence in leadership.
This website is designed to gift knowledge to anyone seeking to explore and learn with us. Whoever you are and wherever you live we hope our passion project will assist you on your journey. We welcome feedback, comments, and suggestions to help improve and update our collective content.
Gilakas’la,
Bruce Carlos, District Principal – Indigenous Education
Honouring the Territory
We are honoured to live, learn, play and work on the unceded ancestral lands of the K’ómoks First Nation.
Acknowledging territory is a way of honouring and showing respect for the group of people now known as the K’ómoks First Nation who have been living and working on this land from time immemorial. Useful tips and explanation of difference between a welcome and an acknowledgement.
Traditional Territory Map
Language and History of the K’ómoks First Nation
“KFN today consists of several formerly separate tribes, both culturally K’ómoks and Pentlatch. The Sathloot (‘sath-loot), Sasitla (sa-‘seet-la), Ieeksen (eye-‘ick-sun) and Xa’xe (‘ha-hey) are all culturally K’ómoks and have their own unique origin stories.” (updated October 17, 2024)
Read more about culture, language, and history.
