7 Katelyn Bouvier

I am a self-identified Métis and I have recently applied for my Métis Nation BC Card. I am the second generation to reside on Coast Salish lands and I currently live upon the traditional and ancestral land of the Kwantlen, W̱SÁNEĆ, Stó:lō, Tsawwassen, Katzie,  and Semiahmoo Nations. After going through the long process of tracing back my Métis ancestry on my paternal side, I will be the first person from my immediate family to receive a Metis Nation BC card. I look forward to learning more about my heritage!

I have recently graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in General Studies, Minor in Counselling, with a Stream in Education. I previously graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Educational Assistance Certificate Program in 2018. For the past three years I have worked as an Educational Assistant (EA), working with various students with disabilities and psychological diagnoses. Through my relevant hands-on experience within the classroom, I have been aspired to further my education in becoming a BC certified Elementary School teacher. I will attend the Bachelor or Education Program at The University of the Fraser Valley this Fall, where I will obtain my elementary teaching certificate.

In my role as an EA, I have been able to expand my knowledge and familiarity with the Indigenous curriculum and the resources available to classroom teachers. A highlight in my EA experience includes my collaboration with a classroom teacher to support a newly enrolled student, who had just left their reserve on what we now call Vancouver Island. I was able to find Indigenous materials to ease the transition to a structured school, by connecting their cultural traditions with classroom activities. While I have come to realize that there is, sadly, a lack of accessible Indigenous resources in BC schools, I have become aware of successful tools and strategies I plan on integrating into my future classroom to promote Indigenous awareness.

 As an educator, I am passionate about working with diverse students and look forward to creating a holistic, reflective-based, child-centred classroom. I envision a career working as an Indigenous resource support teacher. It would be fulfilling to work alongside and support Indigenous students, both academically and emotionally, as well as provide relevant materials to my colleagues, supporting their implementation of Indigenous-related curriculum.