The numbers at Carney Hill public school in downtown Prince George paint a bleak picture of native school life. Eighty-eight per cent of students enrolled are from first nations, yet their attendance rates are dismal and dropout rates are sky high.
"We failed them," said Charlotte Henay, the Prince George school board's aboriginal education principal. Across the province, the numbers are depressingly similar.
In a bid to reverse these grim statistics, Prince George will open British Columbia's first public, aboriginal-themed public school. When Carney Hill reopens in September, it will have a new first nations name and mandate. Half the faculty will be of aboriginal ancestry and native elders will be tapped to advise students.
More important, its curriculum will have a first nations bent aimed at giving native students a richer understanding of their history and culture. "We need to try something radically different," said Ms. Henay. The school board approved a blueprint Tuesday night to begin hiring staff and developing a curriculum for the fall.
It's taken more than 15 years to get the school off the ground, said trustee Lois Boone, who headed the first task force to explore the idea.
Something drastic had to be done to better engage native kids and their families in school, she said.
"What we've done has not worked," Ms. Boone said. "Our success rate for aboriginal students is unacceptable. We cannot continue having such a low graduation rate and then expect that their lives can change. Their lives are not going to change unless we deal with their education."
Native leaders in the area agreed. "Hopefully, this can be a way to intervene and make the situation better," said Terry Teegee, vice-tribal chief for the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council.
But the prospect of opening a native-oriented school in the northern B.C. town touched a raw nerve among some aboriginal families, many of them living with painful legacies of the residential school system.
Some native families even believed the board would round up their kids and force them to attend the new school, although it has stressed the school is voluntary and non-native students can attend.
Aboriginal high schools in Edmonton and Winnipeg have seen positive results among native students, with higher graduation and attendance rates.
Alex Bernard, whose 9-year-old son is a student at Carney Hill, said he wants his son to learn about his indigenous roots. Mr. Bernard's own understanding of his Carrier Sekani past is limited. His mother attended residential schools, where she lost the use of her native language and familiarity with her customs.
"One of the reasons why I want my little man to go [to the aboriginal school]is because we've lost our culture," Mr. Bernard said. "Three generations have gone by and it's getting worse and worse."
Over the next weeks and months, the board will develop a curriculum for the aboriginal school. How will lessons differ from a regular public school?
Ms. Henay used the example of explaining the history of B.C.'s first nations. Indigenous folklore in B.C. says native people came from, and are connected to, the land. European-oriented history says there is evidence that native North Americans came here from Asia, across the Bering Strait.
Which version would be taught in an aboriginal school? A little of both, most likely, Ms. Henay said, with an emphasis on the different understandings among native and non-native people, of "how we came to be who we are."