Welcome Post-Secondary Educators!

Join Skwxwu7mesh scholar, educator and community practitioner Dr. Denise Findlay (Link to Bio) Tselkxáliya, and Skwxwu7mesh elders and knowledge carriers for a unique year-long immersive learning experience on the unceded territory of the Skwxwu7mesh Peoples, a sacred place known as Chá7elkwnech (Gambier Island).  

Moving Together In the Ways of the People (Video Link) is a program developed specifically for those working in post-secondary education who are endeavoring to find meaningful and practical ways to move ethically and relationally towards reconciliation, through the processes of decolonization and Indigenization. 

This distinctly Skwxwu7mesh cultural experience takes place over four seasons and includes land-based experiential learning. Each season is followed by a series of online community of practice learning sessions where participants will receive supplementary resources and be engaged in professional learning discussion with peers facilitated by Dr. Findlay and her colleagues.  

The seasonal land-based learning experiences are 2 days each and will centre around seasonal Skwxwu7mesh land-based cultural teachings and learning as follows: 

Season 1 - Fall: Sunday, September 28 (evening) to Tuesday, September 30, 2025 (National Day for Truth & Reconciliation)
Season 2 – Winter: Thursday, January 29 (evening) to Saturday, January 31, 2026
Season 3 – Spring: Sunday, May 3 (evening) to Tuesday, May 5, 2026 
Season 4 – Summer: Wednesday, June 24 (evening) to Friday, June 26, 2026

Participants will:

• Experience transformative and relational learning 

• Take part in the pedagogical power and pathway of ceremony, ritual and rites of passage 

• Participate in hands-on learning with and from Skwxwu7mesh knowledge carriers and elders, on the land 

• Dwell with a community of learners in meaningful re?ection and dialogue that builds a strong sense of community within which to grapple with the issues of decolonization, Indigenization and reconciliation 

• Be introduced to contemplative educational practices (Link to Article: Becoming the Imperfect Friend)  as a way of meaningfully integrating new ways of knowing and being, personally and professionally 

• Be supported to articulate and look ahead to taking practical-personal action towards meaningful reconciliation within education 

• Participate in follow up on-line Community of Practice Zoom session

Included in the Cost is:

• Return transportation by water taxi between Horseshoe Bay and Camp Fircom

• Accommodation at Camp Fircom (double or quadruple occupancy)

• All meals and snacks (dietary restrictions can be accommodated)

• Dedicated digital learning space for collaborative resource sharing (4Paddles)

If you are not familiar with Camp Fircom accommodations, please review them here: Fircom Accommodations. 

Fees:

Craigcroft Lodge - $795.00 per Person for each Seasonal Session or $2862.00 for the Full Year (all 4 Seasons) - Double Occupancy (a room shared with one other person. Craigcroft Lodge has two washrooms, a full kitchen and living room)

Cabins - $750.00 per Person for each Seasonal Session or $2700.00 for the Full Year (all 4 Seasons) - Quadruple Occupancy (a standard cabin shared with 3 other people)