A large hawk display with "daily acts of reconciliation" written by students is displayed at Richmond's Hugh Boyd Secondary School.
Every Hugh Boyd student wrote down an act of reconciliation they are committed to taking on a hawk feather cut-out ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, observed on Sept. 30.
The feather cut-outs are then placed on the wings of a large hawk display, which symbolizes the significance of the hawk to the Musqueam people, explained Michael Taylor, a teacher at Hugh Boyd secondary.
"The purpose is for students in the whole school to engage in daily acts of reconciliation, that is, for students to uncover small ways in their own lives where they can participate in reconciliation," said Taylor.
He added these acts might include following Indigenous voices on social media, watching Indigenous films or documentaries, reading books by an Indigenous author, or listening to a podcast about residential school survivors' stories.
"Our staff has made it a point to convey to students that taking any step to better understand Indigenous perspectives or Indigenous ways of knowing is critical and should be celebrated. We tell students that this helps toward the collective betterment of our country."
Taylor told the Richmond News the school-wide activity was developed by the staff, with the help from Richmond School District teacher consultant Karla Gamble, in preparation for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
While it's important to teach the history of the day, staff wanted to "expand further this year into reconciliation," Taylor explained.
This involved helping students build and maintain "mutually respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people," he added.
"The project is just another step toward helping students develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of what happened in our country and its connection to their lives… to explore tangible steps they can take, and to understand the importance their participation is to our country’s ongoing reconciliation process."
Hugh Boyd's temporary Musqeuam-inspired artistic style hawk display also aligns with the school's new hawk moniker, replacing its former moniker the trojans, according to Taylor.
"Since it is our first year/debut with our new hawk moniker ... our display centres on understanding and learning the hawk’s symbolic meaning to the Musqueam People," he said.
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