UBC Faculty of Education Reconciliation and Decolonization Alumni Award 2024 Recipients

Chas, a nehiyaw-michif woman, has dedicated over two decades to various roles within the Vancouver School District, including her work as a social studies and drama teacher. Most recently, she has served as District Vice Principal, Principal, and Director of Instruction for the Indigenous Education Department at the Vancouver School Board.

Chas’ efforts have significantly advanced the Vancouver School Board’s Reconciliation journey with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities by:

• Increasing knowledge, awareness, and appreciation of Indigenous histories, traditions, cultures, and contributions.
• Aligning policies and practices with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Since becoming District Vice Principal of Indigenous Education in 2017, Chas has been a catalyst for positive change. She supported the carving and installation of two welcome figures and a reconciliation pole at the front of the school board office. Additionally, she collaborated with the NITEP program to establish a dual credit course, allowing Indigenous students in grades 11 and 12 to earn both high school and UBC credits toward certification as teachers through the NITEP and BEd programs. She has also guided the district’s transformation to align with the VSB Education Plan 2026.

Chas exemplifies courageous leadership, tirelessly working to transform the district from its deeply entrenched colonial systems.

Dr. Wernicke is a multilingual scholar whose research centers on the intersection of teacher education and language learning. As a member of the French language cohort at UBC, she has developed a profound understanding of the impact of language loss on the Musqueam people and Indigenous communities across the Americas. Her work in a recent SSHRC-funded project “Centering Indigenous Languages in Canadian Multilingual Education” underscores her commitment to revitalizing Indigenous languages and fostering collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars.

As a non-Indigenous scholar, Dr. Wernicke exemplifies a deep commitment to allyship. She actively seeks to move beyond traditional multicultural approaches to decolonization by studying and promoting Indigenous frameworks for knowledge, pedagogy, and practice. She prioritizes building long-term relationships and holds herself accountable within these partnerships. Dr. Wernicke continually reflects on her positionality and White privilege, viewing tensions as opportunities for education about equity.

Throughout her work, Dr. Wernicke remains dedicated to Indigenous protocols, consistently acknowledging that the university is situated on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.