Grace George had a front row seat to her dreams coming true as she watched students dressed in Nuu-chah-nulth regalia dancing and singing songs in the language she worked so hard to revitalize for them.
Wickaninnish Community School’s gymnasium swelled with pride and appreciation as the legendary educator was celebrated and honoured with a King Charles III Coronation Medal on Oct. 16.
“This is a great honour to receive this medal,” George said to an audience of students, faculty and supporters. “I’m really humbled by this.”
George was nominated for the medal by Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns in recognition of her dedication to Nuu-chah-nulth language revitalization and over 30 years of service as an education support worker.
“I would like to thank my homeland of Ahousaht for supporting me,” she said. “They supported my language journey financially and emotionally.”
She added her School District 70 employers also supported her pursuit and thanked the school’s principal Dani Stone for carrying on her Nuu-chah-nulth teachings, touting Stone as “a true blue leader.”
“I say this school here is the finest in reconciliation. We’re doing it,” she said, adding her grandkids are currently benefiting from Nuu-chah-nulth language classes. “I’m really proud, right through me they’ve gained a love of the language…My one dream is that the children learn and do one word a day. Say it. Say it loud and proud so that your ancestors are happy for you.”
She thanked her supporters and family members, including her brother and Ahousaht Tyee Ha’wilth Maquinna—Hereditary Chief Lewis George—who was in attendance and who she said “always supports me and comes to all my celebrations.”
She dedicated her medal to her late brother Billy George Sr.
“He was my mentor. I learned everything from him. Some days, the days were really emotional for him and for me. But, we did it. We did it and I’d like to dedicate this in his memory,” she said. “He was a residential school survivor who could not speak the language in school. He was punished for it. He persevered and was able to teach me and others the language and he knew a lot of our history as well. I’d like to dedicate this to him. Thank you all for being here and for listening to me.”
Wickaninnish Community School is located within the traditional territory of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and elected Chief councillor Elmer Frank spoke to congratulate George and express the community’s pride in her work and accomplishments.
“What you’ve achieved today is really remarkable because if you take a look at the room right now, you see co-existence,” he said. “Wickaninnish School is reconciliation at its best. When you take a look at the students, that’s what you see: true reconciliation. We have to accredit that to you.”
He added kids growing up on the West Coast continue to benefit massively from the foundations George laid and spoke to his own two children’s experience going through the Nuu-chah-nulth language program and enjoying learning their word of the day.
“I think it’s really a good sentiment to your legacy, what you’re doing for not only Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht people, but for the community as a whole because we get to share our culture with all of those that are sitting here amongst us. It’s really amazing to see,” he said. “When I came to school here I was forced into what was called Catechism…If I tried to skip it, I’d be pulled off the bus by my ear. It wasn’t my religion. Now, when we see where we’ve come to today, I think that it’s a great testimony to what Grace has brought to the community as a whole.”
Frank thanked MP Gord Johns for nominating George and said she was “a great choice.”
“I want you to know that the work that you do for your family, your communities, this community, it doesn’t go unrecognized,” he said. “Klecko Grace and congratulations.”
George’s brother, Ahousaht Tyee Ha’wilth Maquinna, spoke to the resolute passion that earned her the Coronation Medal and cited her dedication of it to their late brother Billy.
“He was in residential school in Port Alberni and I was there with him. Things like this would never, ever have happened in 1958. The government back then were very ignorant. They were very ignorant…They didn’t understand,” he said.
“They hired people to look after us and the people that looked after us didn’t do a good job. They wouldn’t let us be who we are…We need to keep telling people that that’s never going to happen ever again. We’re never going to ever let that happen…Those people back in 1958, some of them are still alive and, you know, for me, I’ve forgiven them. I’ve forgiven them. It was their real serious bad mistake what they did to us. How do we correct that?”
He said Wickaninnish Community School is “doing a fine job of making sure that all of our First Nations kids and non First Nations kids are able to feel exactly what it is of who we are” and gave praise to Principal Stone for continuing to build on his sister’s legacy.
All who spoke thanked MP Gord Johns for recognizing George’s phenomenal efforts, which he said was a privilege to do.
“It’s just a real privilege to be back here at Wick School,” he said, adding that all three of his children attended the school. “It’s such a privilege to be able to know that you’re getting taught by these incredible instructors, but there’s one special person that we’re here to honour today that has taught us so much and connected us to place.”
He called the celebration a “momentous moment” and spoke to his own experiences with his kids going through the school.
“I remember when my kids went to school and they had a Nuu-chah-nulth word of the day. I didn’t know how important or profound it was…But, I remember reading a book at that time with my son River. He would have been five. He turned the page and saw what I would call an orca, or killer whale at the time, and he said ‘Oh, a KaKaw’in.’ From then on, I called them KaKaw’in. He learned that from Grace. He learned that here at this school. He learned the Nuu-chah-nulth language, which connected him to place and to culture.”
He explained that the King Charles III Coronation Medal is awarded to 30,000 Canadians who have made a significant contribution to their community, country, First Nation or the world and, as a Member of Parliament, he could bestow the honour on 20 individuals.
“There’s 31 communities and Nations in our riding of Courtney-Alberni. There’s over 100,000 people and so many of them, I see so many of them here in this room, who give incredible contributions and sacrifices. I got to choose 20 people. You can imagine it was really easy to choose this individual that we’re going to honour today,” he said.
“It’s a way to recognize outstanding individuals of all ages and from all walks of life who have made a difference through their achievements and service to their community. We know Grace has made a huge difference.”
He then presented George with the medal and spoke to the legacy she’s built.
“It is ongoing and everlasting,” he said. “Her dream of a day when children would enthusiastically learn their own language has come true…It’s because of her willingness to share her knowledge and provide loving guidance to her fellow educators that I have the honours of issuing the King Charles III Coronation medal to Grace George.”
SD70 Board Chair Pam Craig commended Johns for making an “awesome choice” in recognizing George for “all the wonderful things she has done for all these amazing students.”
The school’s principal Dani Stone also spoke to George’s profound impact.
“We are all so grateful to Grace everyday,” she said. “Your dream has come true. We’re in regalia. We’re singing. We’re dancing. We’re learning the language. We thank TFN for their continued support of having the language team coming in and supporting our students and thank you to the staff for continuing to make time for this important work. Klecko to everyone.”
Stone encouraged the students in attendance to mark the day in their memory.
“I hope that you can remember this time and remember this special day that we all got to observe,” she said.
