CAMPBELL RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT
SD72 teacher named as a finalist for the Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching

Southgate Middle School teacher Danita Lewis has been selected as one of 25 finalists for this year's Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Established in 1996, the national award honours six teachers for innovative approaches to teaching Canadian history. Finalists demonstrate creating authentic learning experiences, encouraging historical research and critical thinking, incorporating historical thinking concepts, and considering Indigenous perspectives and worldviews.

Lewis created a six-week program called First Nations Studies that is offered to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous grades 6 and 7 students at Southgate Middle School. Through experiential and exploratory learning, the program creates an awareness and respect for Indigenous history, culture, and tradition; and serves to build bridges between indigenous and non-Indigenous learners.

Students learn about Canada's shared history of residential schools, the Indian Act, Human Rights, the Rights of the Child, and the bans on potlatches, Sun Dances and Pow Wows.
They also have the opportunity to learn about the different Indigenous traditions from across Canada such as regalia, the importance of storytelling to First Nations history, the medicine wheel, ethnobotany and stewardship.

In learning about local Indigenous traditions, students study the importance of cedar and west coast art design. There is a strong emphasis on hands-on and experiential learning with students creating tangible projects such as medicine bags, woven cedar roses, and storytelling masks, as well as field trips to the carving shed, forest, ocean and museum. For every subject that Lewis introduces, she also brings in a guest Elder to speak to students and add that personal connection.

Lewis is from Cold Lake First Nations and has lived in the Comox Valley since 1989. Since 2011, she has served as a district Indigenous culture and explorations teacher at Southgate Middle School. She developed the curriculum in consultation with local Indigenous people and it is also the basis for a similar offering at École Phoenix Middle School.

Last December, Lewis was one of ten recipients for the Guiding the Journey: Indigenous Educator Awards, also in recognition of her First Nations Studies program.

The awards six finalists have yet to be announced. Recipients will receive a cash prize of $2,500, an additional $1,000 for their school, and an all-expense paid trip for two to Ottawa to receive their award from the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada at Rideau Hall.