A unique partnership between North Island College (NIC) and the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC) resulted in a recent field school to Hawaii where students could learn about Indigenous education and culture.

NIC has held several field schools for Indigenous students to learn in other countries, but this project is new in that it involves the tribal council as partner in the planning process, as well as in financial support. In Hawaii itself, the partner was the University of Hawai鈥榠 Maui College.

The field school, which ran from Jan. 23 to Feb. 1, was also developed in collaboration with Vancouver Island University鈥檚 education program. It included 17 students鈥�15 Indigenous and two non-Indigenous students. Seven of them began their studies at NIC completing one year of prerequisites.

鈥淭he Maui field school was an inspiring experience reminding me of the potential students have with language learning and of the importance of starting young, as early as preschool, to set the foundation for older years,鈥� said student Jade Hobenshield. 鈥淚've brought back many teaching tools for my future in education.鈥�

The group, which included students, educators and family members, had the chance to see revitalization work taking place in many ways, said Ian Caplette, Indigenous Education instructor. They had a chance to see Indigenous language immersion, especially with young children, though the group even saw subjects like Grade 3 math translated into Hawaiian.

鈥淭hey didn't really do a lot of change to the actual curriculum, just the translation of the words, so the concepts and the principles that were in math remained,鈥� he said.

The group learned more about their hosts鈥� culture in general, and there was also an opportunity to look at land-based work, such as the cultivation of local plants on a site that had been slated for real estate development鈥攁 project in which local school children participated.

鈥淔or young people to come on a field trip from the local schools to participate in these learning activities out on the land that's part of their reclamation, it was really powerful,鈥� said Caplette, who can see similar possibilities for lands near the Port Alberni campus.

To take part in the field school, all students received support through the Global Skills Opportunity scholarships funded by the Government of Canada鈥檚 Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program, in addition to a subsidy from NTC to support the different needs of students and their families participating in this field school.

For the tribal council, this program showed how much ground B.C. has to make up in Indigenous education when compared with places like Hawaii. Melissa Barthier, NTC Director of Education, Training and Social Development, said that, on the one hand, many students sensed what they had missed when they were young, but it also was a cause for optimism when they witnessed young children speaking only in their Indigenous language in the school setting.

鈥淭hat provides some hope for them. I think it was very moving for a lot of students,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was a cool thing to see. It was really striking and beautiful.鈥�

The whole trip provided the chance for the Vancouver Island students to see what progress is being made in another Indigenous culture on an island in the Pacific, and Barthier said the group was overwhelmed by the welcome they received from their hosts.

鈥淭hey were incredible. They were so kind and gracious,鈥� she added. 鈥淲e really did feel like they鈥檙e family.鈥�