The Deluge Mural at Lochdale Community School tells an ancient story in fresh, vivid colours. Squamish Nation Elder and artist Latash Nahanee guided students through the winter months, sharing the teachings behind the Squamish legend of the Deluge while young hands brought it to life on canvas. Nearby, students at Burnaby Mountain Secondary carved wooden salmon that the elementary artists would paint—a collaboration spanning age groups and a shared act of cultural reconnection. When the mural is unveiled this month, it will stand not just as decoration but as a gift to the school community, carrying lessons about land, belonging, and the power of working together.
This is just one thread in a district-wide tapestry of Indigenous programming across School District 41 in Burnaby, British Columbia. Throughout June, schools marked National Indigenous History Month with ceremonies, performances, and classroom projects that weave Indigenous stories and teachings into the daily life of students.
At Stride Avenue Community School, sibling dancers Chelsei and Noah Gray brought the gymnasium to life. The Coast Salish educators, who trace their roots to Sq'éwlets and the Quw'utsun First Nations, taught students about powwow dance styles and regalia—and then let them try the steps themselves. The children left with more than physical movement; they carried new understanding of ceremony and cultural pride.
Earlier this year, roughly 800 students from across the district gathered for a special screening of "Saints and Warriors," a documentary following Alpha Secondary alumnus Desi Collinson and his teammates as they prepare for the All Native Basketball Tournament. The film, now streaming on Crave, explores how basketball connects to Haida resilience. Former coach Wayne Best, now Safe Schools Specialist at Burnaby Central Secondary, moderated the question-and-answer session afterward, connecting students to the living legacy of Indigenous athletic achievement.
Schools throughout the district found their own entry points into Indigenous education. Lakeview Elementary adopted a daily practice called ha7lh kwákway̓el, "Greeting of the Day," with students reporting it calms and grounds them. At University Highlands Elementary, Tsleil-Waututh weaver Caitlin Aleck worked with students to create an Indigenous art piece reflecting the school's values—symbols chosen by children themselves now welcome visitors at the front entrance, a daily reminder that everyone belongs. Inman Elementary's Grade 1/2 French Immersion class created art inspired by Métis artist Christi Belcourt and presented it as a gift to visiting Métis dancers. At Twelfth Avenue Elementary, a Grade 1 class retold the trickster tale of Coyote and the Bluebirds through music exploration.
These programs don't end when the calendar turns. Throughout the year, Indigenous Youth Engagement Workers, local artists, and knowledge keepers are building relationships with students—offering not one-off lessons but ongoing threads of connection, creativity, and cultural pride that stretch into the future.