July 14, 2022 Decolonizing Education

Ktunaxa student and future leader wins Lieutenant Governor’s Medal Award - Columbia Valley PioneerGraduation Day is an exciting and special day for all students as they see all their hard work pay off. It was a little more special for University of British Columbia (UBC) graduating Ktunaxa student Aiyana Twigg of Tobacco Plains Nation as she was awarded the 2022 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy, and Reconciliation at her graduation ceremony on May 25.

Tobacco Plains Youth honoured for creating a 'home away from home' for Indigenous students at UBCAiyana Twigg’s journey of becoming a leader for Indigenous students at UBC and a champion for revitalizing languages

July 12, 2022 - Decolonizing Education: The Inspiring Example of Aiyana Twigg: As an Indigenous led language revitalization effort, the work of Ktunaxa youth Aiyana Twigg would be considered an example of “Stage Five” in Morcom, Freeman & Davis’ (Morcom et al, 2018.) definitions of models of Indigenous education; this is an example of the process of decolonization of education in the traditional territory of the Ktunaxa Nation (part of the area served by my employer, School District 8 - Kootenay Lake). Twigg's work through her mentorship with Elders, as well as her studies at the University of British Columbia, shows how Ktunaxa Language revitalization & decolonization is engaging local youth, as well as helping to revitalize the language and culture of the Ktunaxa. Ktunaxa is a language isolate, related to no other known language. Twigg notes the urgency in her project, reflecting that there are fewer than 20 fluent Ktunaxa speakers left (Cawson, 2022) Twigg, from the Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi ‘it, (Tobacco Plains Band) is helping develop the Ktunaxa dictionary through her studies, and this May won the Lieutenant Governor’s medal for her work towards Ktunaxa language and culture revitalization. (Cawson, 2022). The Ktunaxa First Voices website (2022) is also part of the Ktunaxa language revitalization efforts.

Twigg promotes her work on her Instagram page "ktunaxapride" and also has a website where she promotes Ktunaxa Pride in culture and language. While using traditional stories, listening, modelling & experiential learning, Twigg is also incorporating social media and other information technologies to engage the community in the vital work of saving the Ktunaxa language. Her Youtube video "Don't Be Afraid to Speak Indigenous Languages" has inspired me to move through my fear about learning Ktunaxa, and get started. Importantly, Twigg's work is Indigenous led, involves collaboration with Elders and community, and involves a process of lifelong learning, engaging people of all ages. Aiyanna Twigg's work is undoubtedly a strong example of decolonizing education.

References

Cawson, Chadd (June 2022) Ktunaxa Student and Future Leader Wins

Lieutenant-Governor's Award Columbia Valley Pioneer

https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.com/ktunaxa-student-and-future-leader-

wins-lieutenant-governors-medal-award/

Ktunaxa First Voices (2022) Ktunaxa Home Page. First People’s Cultural

Council.https://www.firstvoices.com/explore/FV/Workspaces/Data/Ktunaxa/

Ktunaxa/Ktunaxa.

McLauchlan, Phillip (2022) Tobacco Plains Youth Honoured for Creating a

Home Away from Home for Indigenous Students Indiginews

https://indiginews.com/vancouver-island/tobacco-plains-youth-aiyana-

honoured-for-positive-impact-ubc