In 1864, a road was being built from Bella Coola to what is now Williams Lake. ‘Unfortunately’ for the white settlers, there were people living along the proposed route and those people did not want a road going through their territory. They fought back, so they were given gifts to appease them. These gifts were infected with small pox. The Tsilhqot’in Chiefs fought back again. They were then invited to a meeting where they were all subsequently arrested and hanged. Recently the Federal government offered apologies on this matter and members of the Tsilhqot’in Nation were invited to Ottawa. Working closely with the Tsilhqot’in National Government, we have created a lesson plan to teach this unit in Law 12, BCFN 12, Explorations in Socials 11, and Social Justice 12. This unit plan has now been published and is available for use across the province. Complete with lessons, possible guest speakers, access to a pronunciation guide, and the TNG produced videos, this unit plan is a positive movement towards the reconciliation of the TRC. Discussion also includes how to facilitate locally developed resources in connection with local aboriginal groups, through our own trials and errors to create this unit and have it published and produced provincially.

Currently, Shannon Rerie is teaching in the Cariboo Chilcotin, Virtual Secondary. She teaches the six most rural schools, online, and then travels to each school once a week to connect with the students in person. Shannon has worked in this district for 14 years and has taught everything from culinary arts to computer science. Shannon is most passionate about teaching English First Peoples and Social Justice, Genocide 12 and BCFN 12. She is passionate about social justice issues, specifically racism and homophobia. Shannon’s daughter came out as transgender a few years ago, and so her years of fighting for LGBTQ2+ rights have become far more personal.