How it feels to take the stage as valedictorian of VSB's Indigenous Achievement Celebration
Grade 12 student Nicholas Chayeski is graduating along with a cohort of Indigenous Vancouver students
During a special high school graduation ceremony on Thursday, a cohort of Indigenous Grade 12 students got a chance to honour their achievement.
The students are part of a program provided by the Vancouver School Board (VSB) in partnership with Indigenous communities in the Lower Mainland and the B.C. Ministry of Education.
The program brings together Indigenous students from different VSB high schools for various classes, field trips and educational events throughout the school year.
It culminates in the the Indigenous Achievement Celebration, which shines light on the rising graduation rate for Indigenous youth in B.C.
This year, the celebration's valedictorian — Nicholas Chayeski from Van Tech high school — has Blackfoot, Metis and European heritage.
Chayeski sat down with host Gloria Macarenko during CBC's On the Coast to share what the ceremony means to him.
So how does it feel being the class of 2018's valedictorian?
It wasn't really something I expected to win.
There's a lot of really great people, so to be chosen is quite an honour.
You were chosen by a committee, based on what you would like to give a speech on. What did you submit?
I wanted to acknowledge where we've been, Canada as a whole.
We've been through some struggles and we're still continuing with these things. There's still oppression going on.
Also, I'm visibly white. So for me it was important to acknowledge that as well.
To all the other "passing white people" that have native blood but aren't really proud of it, I wanted to really bring that up.
We are all part of that same culture, and it's important to be proud of who you are.
That being said, what does it mean to you, graduating from an Indigenous education program?
Throughout high school, there aren't as many opportunities as I wished there were.
Being native, it's almost like you can't show who you fully are.
So being in this place where we're on the stage graduating among the other Aboriginal students, it's something we should all be proud of.
What makes this Indigenous program special?
It kind of boils down to the culture itself.
White culture is very different from First Nations culture. There's a lot more storytelling. A lot more songs and dances.
[The program] focuses less on the academics and more on being a person out in the world.
This interview aired during CBC's On the Coast on June 14 and has been edited for clarity and structure. To hear the complete interview, click on the audio below.