Grade 12 students at Semiahmoo Secondary in Surrey, British Columbia recently worked with the Semiahmoo First Nation (SFN) to create a short documentary about the school’s history. The documentary, titled Truth and Reconciliation: A Tribute to the Semiahmoo First Nations, includes interviews with SFN Chief Harley Chappell and several faculty members of the school and the Surrey school district. “The idea came about when we began learning about the wrongdoings that Semiahmoo Secondary had done with the Semiahmoo First Nation during the forming of the school,” explained student Simrit Mangat. The school did not have permission for the use of its name and it originally used the Totems as its athletics mascot, which was later changed to the Thunderbirds in consultation with the Semiahma people. The documentary was distributed to teachers throughout the school and the district for use in class.
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