Indigenous Exploration Day: A Celebration of Learning, Culture, and Connection at Brocklehurst Secondary

Related Photos

Story provided by Chelsea Isenor, Director of Communications and Board Administration

On June 19, 2025, staff and students at Brocklehurst Secondary School celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day with a full day of experiential learning, cultural exploration, and community connection at their Indigenous Exploration Day.

This impactful day of learning and exploration was the result of thoughtful collaboration and planning from Brock teachers. The idea for the day started with Brock’s Humanities Professional Learning Community of teachers who were looking for activities that would offer students an opportunity to learn more about languages, including Secwépemctsin. Taking inspiration from Brock’s history of offering activity days, the idea then grew into a full day of hands-on and on-the-land learning experiences focused on Indigenous culture and centred around National Indigenous Peoples Day. Teachers, elders, knowledge keepers, and community members came together to offer unique lessons, workshops, and field trips to mark a meaningful step forward in the school’s ongoing journey toward reconciliation and deeper understanding.

“We really wanted to make an impact in June [for National Indigenous History Month],” shared Brock teacher Katee Smeaton. “We decided we were going to take on reconciliation of our practice, bring in knowledge keepers and have this be an authentic learning experience for our students—and create something that, in our first year as a secondary school, we can be really proud of and have moving forward annually.”

The Day began with a Welcome Assemble where Brock students were joined by Grade 7 students from the neighboring Kay Bingham Elementary School. Peter Michel and Ivy Chelsea led the school in the Welcome Song, setting a respectful and joyful tone for the day’s activities.

From there, students took part in a wide range of hands-on, land-based, and culturally rich learning experiences that offered a deeper understanding of Indigenous culture, stories, and traditions.

Throughout the day, students rotated through a variety of activities and field trips that were led by educators, knowledge keepers, elders, and community members. Experiences included:

• Storytelling, drumming, and ethnobotany sessions at McQueen Lake Environmental Education Centre
• Hiking and on-the-land learning at Paul Lake
• A biking cultural exploration field trip in downtown Kamloops
• Four-station cultural games and medicine, featuring lacrosse, ball hockey, stick games, and traditional medicine-making
• A full-day ribbon skirt sewing project
• Traditional games and Lahal
• Medicine making, including cotton bud salves and natural bug repellent
• A wood burning art project using cedar BBQ scrapers and Indigenous-inspired stencils
• Bannock cooking, pine needle basket weaving, journaling, art, painting, and more

Each activity offered students the chance to learn by doing, and to connect more deeply with the land, their peers, and the local Indigenous community.

“It's nice to have hands-on activities for the students,” shared teacher Kristine Chan. “For them to be able to sit with knowledge keepers and elders and have conversation while doing hand-on learning rather than traditional lectures, research, or book learning—I think they’re getting more out of it by being with people.”

The day also offered opportunities for students to step up as leaders, including Indigenous students who helped lead some learning and songs throughout the day.

When asked about the students’ experience, Katee Smeaton, the group organizer for the McQueen Lake field trip, shared, “There wasn't a moment when the student didn’t have the biggest smile on their face. Whether they were inside doing hands-on learning, making, or drumming, or they were outside exploring the trail… I’m excited to have this be an annual day of learning.”

This powerful day of learning would not have been possible without the generosity and support of the elders, knowledge keepers, and community members who shared their knowledge, gifts, and stories with the students.

Special thanks also go out to the dedicated teachers who organized and planned the event: Nicoletta Appleton, Lacey Banman, Kristofer Braun, Marie Busch, Kristine Chan, Kevin Chow, Ivy Chelsea, Andrew Clare, Brad Dalke, Ashley Lowndes, Mike Lowndes, Val Shannik, and Katee Smeaton

Brock’s first ever Indigenous Exploration Day was an engaging day of learning and a wonderful opportunity to incorporate important cultural learning around National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Others schools throughout the District honoured National Indigenous Peoples Day on Friday, June 20 with various activities and events, including gathering together to share the Welcome Song, lessons on traditional buildings and weaving, learning about Indigenous history and terminology, participating in Lahal tournaments, going on nature walks for on-the-land learning, and engaging in meaningful classroom lessons.

In the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan, the District is committed to the Cultural and Identity Development Priority—one aspect of this commitment is providing learning experiences that help raise awareness about cultural safety, cultural humility, and cultural identity with students, staff, and parents. During National Indigenous History Month in June and National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 schools across the District spend time learning about Indigenous cultures, traditions, and experiences.