A celebrat­ion with the Bella Bella community

The Ocean School team travelled to Bella Bella, in what is now known as British Columbia’s Central Coast, to give back to the Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) community.

During their time in Bella Bella, Ocean School education producers Heather De Lagran and Erika Sullivan led workshops for 80 students at Bella Bella Community School, shared the resources from the collection with teachers, and organized a community movie night with a screening of the videos from “The Harvest” (Bák̓vṇx̌) collection.

“We have been working with the Haíɫzaqv since 2019 on the collection, explained De Lagran. ‘COVID delayed the project and our ability to share and celebrate with the community. Finally, we made it back to share the videos, interactive experiences and activities with students and teachers in the Bella Bella Community School, as well as the larger community.’

For over 14,000 years, the Haíɫzaqv community has cultivated a reciprocal relationship with the rich and unique ecosystem that surrounds them. ‘The Harvest’ (Bák̓vṇx̌) collection is a celebration of this relationship between the Haíɫzaqv and the region’s keystone species (herring and salmon) and through which students can learn more about how traditional ecological knowledge can guide them into a more sustainable future.

‘What makes this collection of media special is that we didn’t come to the community with a production plan,’ said De Lagran. ‘We first asked the community leaders and educators what stories and science they wanted to share. We were advised on who and what to film and worked with teachers in the community to create the activities. In the end, every piece of media and every activity was vetted by members of the community.’

Giving back to the community

It was important for the Ocean School team to go back and give back to the community. ‘Ocean School is aware of the past injustices towards Indigenous people that film, science and education have played a part in,’ said De Lagran. ‘And part of reconciliation is giving back, and showing that you value the knowledge and time shared with you. And we have learned so much! It was really special to be able to close the project with this visit, and watch students see their relatives and neighbours in the videos.’

‘As someone that participates in the production of educational materials, I don’t always get to see what we make in a classroom setting,’ added Erika Sullivan. ‘As a former teacher, sometimes I miss being able to witness the magic of student learning. I’m so grateful to have been able to visit the Bella Bella Community School and to work directly with students as they watched videos featuring their families and community members. The visit really highlighted for me the importance of making content that tells multiple perspectives and resonates with students from all over.’

We wish to thank Haíɫzaqv Nation and the community of Bella Bella for making ‘The Harvest’ (Bák̓vṇx̌) possible, and for allowing Ocean School to be guests in their territory.