Indigenizing education is one of the most important and most misunderstood parts of our work in schools right now. And if I’m being honest, it’s also one of the areas where I see the most hesitation. Not because teachers don’t care. But because they do. Many non-Indigenous educators want to bring Indigenous perspectives into their classrooms, but there’s a real fear that sits underneath it:
“What if I get it wrong?”
“What if I say something I shouldn’t?”
“What if I unintentionally offend someone or misuse something that isn’t mine to share?”
So instead of leaning in, many pull back. I understand that.
I’ve spent my life working alongside Indigenous people and communities, and I’m currently the Principal of Lower Nicola Indian Band School, working closely with the Nłeʔkepmx and Syilx peoples. The relationships I’ve built over time have been grounded in listening, humility, and trust, not in trying to “get it perfect.”
What I’ve learned is this:
Indigenizing education isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about building respectful relationships and being willing to learn.
The teachings I share are shared with permission from the Elders I work alongside in my local community. They have encouraged me to bring these understandings into schools so students can experience the beauty of Indigenous culture. At the same time, it’s important to understand that Indigenous knowledge is not universal.
Each Nation has its own teachings, protocols, and ways of knowing. Educators must always look to their local Indigenous communities, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to guide this work in their own context.
There are teachings that can be shared, and there are also sacred practices that must remain with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and specific Nations. Knowing the difference matters. Specific ceremonies, such as blanketing, food offerings, and birth or death practices, vary by Nation and should always be led by local Knowledge Keepers and Elders.
My role is not to replace those voices. My role is to help educators feel confident enough to begin, grounded enough to stay respectful, and supported enough to keep learning. Because when we approach this work with humility, relationship, and care, it doesn’t become something to fear. It becomes something that brings classrooms and people closer together.
“What if I get it wrong?”
“What if I say something I shouldn’t?”
“What if I unintentionally offend someone or misuse something that isn’t mine to share?”
So instead of leaning in, many pull back. I understand that.
I’ve spent my life working alongside Indigenous people and communities, and I’m currently the Principal of Lower Nicola Indian Band School, working closely with the Nłeʔkepmx and Syilx peoples. The relationships I’ve built over time have been grounded in listening, humility, and trust, not in trying to “get it perfect.”
What I’ve learned is this:
Indigenizing education isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about building respectful relationships and being willing to learn.
The teachings I share are shared with permission from the Elders I work alongside in my local community. They have encouraged me to bring these understandings into schools so students can experience the beauty of Indigenous culture. At the same time, it’s important to understand that Indigenous knowledge is not universal.
Each Nation has its own teachings, protocols, and ways of knowing. Educators must always look to their local Indigenous communities, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to guide this work in their own context.
There are teachings that can be shared, and there are also sacred practices that must remain with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and specific Nations. Knowing the difference matters. Specific ceremonies, such as blanketing, food offerings, and birth or death practices, vary by Nation and should always be led by local Knowledge Keepers and Elders.
My role is not to replace those voices. My role is to help educators feel confident enough to begin, grounded enough to stay respectful, and supported enough to keep learning. Because when we approach this work with humility, relationship, and care, it doesn’t become something to fear. It becomes something that brings classrooms and people closer together.
The Medicine Wheel
The Medicine Wheel: Our Circle of Balance
Where Emotional Intelligence Meets Indigenous Wisdom
The Medicine Wheel — often called the Sacred Circle — isn’t just a symbol. It’s a mirror. It helps us notice where balance has been lost and reminds us what wholeness looks like, in people, in systems, and in schools.
For generations, Indigenous Peoples have used the Medicine Wheel as a way of understanding the relationship between the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual parts of life, not as separate pieces, but as an interconnected whole. When one part is ignored or overemphasized, imbalance follows. We see that same pattern play out in schools.
The Four Parts of the Circle
Each quadrant offers guidance rather than instruction:
When one quadrant dominates, people feel it.
When balance is restored, systems stabilize.
Why This Matters in Schools
The Emotional Schools Framework is grounded in this understanding of balance.
It reminds educators and leaders that emotional intelligence isn’t a standalone skill or program,
it’s a living balance between head, heart, body, and spirit.
By walking with the Medicine Wheel as a guide, schools move beyond symbolic gestures toward reconciliation in action, embedding respect, relationship, and responsibility into daily practice. This creates learning communities where students, staff, and leaders can all find their place in the circle.
Where Emotional Intelligence Meets Indigenous Wisdom
The Medicine Wheel — often called the Sacred Circle — isn’t just a symbol. It’s a mirror. It helps us notice where balance has been lost and reminds us what wholeness looks like, in people, in systems, and in schools.
For generations, Indigenous Peoples have used the Medicine Wheel as a way of understanding the relationship between the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual parts of life, not as separate pieces, but as an interconnected whole. When one part is ignored or overemphasized, imbalance follows. We see that same pattern play out in schools.
The Four Parts of the Circle
Each quadrant offers guidance rather than instruction:
- Physical — caring for bodies, spaces, movement, and the environments where learning happens
- Emotional — tending to relationships, empathy, and emotional truth
- Mental — nurturing curiosity, reflection, and meaning-making
- Spiritual — honouring identity, purpose, belonging, and connection
When one quadrant dominates, people feel it.
When balance is restored, systems stabilize.
Why This Matters in Schools
The Emotional Schools Framework is grounded in this understanding of balance.
It reminds educators and leaders that emotional intelligence isn’t a standalone skill or program,
it’s a living balance between head, heart, body, and spirit.
By walking with the Medicine Wheel as a guide, schools move beyond symbolic gestures toward reconciliation in action, embedding respect, relationship, and responsibility into daily practice. This creates learning communities where students, staff, and leaders can all find their place in the circle.
The Sacred Circle — Living the Framework
The Sacred Circle sits at the heart of the Emotional Schools Framework, not as something to study, but as a way of living and leading. It moves emotional intelligence out of theory and into the daily life of a school, shaping how people relate, make decisions, and respond under pressure.
Where the Medicine Wheel teaches balance, the Sacred Circle builds balance into the system, weaving Indigenous wisdom through the structures, spaces, and relationships that shape school life. In classrooms, emotions are understood, not controlled.
In leadership, decisions are guided by humility and relationship, not hierarchy. In community, learning flows both ways, from Elders to educators, from students to systems.
The Circle in Practice (Each part of the Circle lives through the framework):
- Emotional — how relationships, safety, and belonging are built
- Mental — how learning is organized, understood, and reflected on
- Physical — how spaces are designed to calm, support, and restore
- Spiritual — how meaning, identity, and purpose are honoured in daily school life
This is where the Emotional Schools Framework becomes reconciliation in action, not as content to deliver, but as responsibility embedded in how schools operate.
By living through the Sacred Circle, schools move beyond teaching Indigenous perspectives toward honouring them through practice. The result is a learning environment where wellness, culture, and learning grow together, not in competition, but in balance.
