'It felt very colonial' says first Indigenous student to sit on Thames Valley school board
Tsista Kennedy calls the year 'amazing' but there were ups and downs to the job
Tehatsistahawi (Tsista) Kennedy is member of the Turtle clan from Oneida Nation of the Thames. He's also a Grade 11 student at Saunders Secondary School in London.
He made news last fall when he was picked to be the first-ever Indigenous student to sit on the Thames Valley District School Board. It meant weekly meetings with others trustees and having a voice in board decisions. It also meant speaking engagements and conferences — while trying to juggle his academics,
We first met Tsista Kennedy on CBC Radio's London Morning back in October.
As his term on the board winds down, Kennedy paid another visit to London Morning and spoke with host Julianne Hazlewood about his experience as a trustee. Below is an edited version of their conversation.
How has the last year gone?
It's been packed with many different experiences with different opportunities for learning. There's been many ups and downs. It's definitely been an amazing year and an awesome opportunity to learn life lessons.
What were the ups and downs?
There were many ups and many downs. For the downs, it was integrating into this system of leadership through the school board. It was very new to me and it felt very colonial from an Indigenous perspective. So, integrating into it was difficult but, going through the year and reflecting on it, I feel like I'm able to look forward to the future with better skills.
The colonial structure? What do you mean?
It was mainly the meetings. Sitting with a suit-and -tie in a boardroom. It's a lot different from being in ceremony. It's different from being in the lodge or long house, it's a completely different atmosphere. It's not that the atmosphere is bad or unpleasant, it's just different.
What did the job entail?
Being the student trustee, a lot of my endeavours was reaching out to Indigenous youth. In the past, I'd dealt with a lot of difficulties with my peers because they didn't understand the culture. It wasn't problems coming from hate, it was misunderstanding. So I tried to spread understanding and cultural awareness.
How did you foster that understanding?
I was asked to speak at many different conferences and schools. Usually I'd be up on stage, speaking to a large group of people. And I'd speak in a way that wasn't too crazy. I'd talk about why men grow their hair long, for example. It was a beginning level because I didn't want to dump the whole book on them. When it comes to reconciliation, it's a slow process.
How have you been received?
People seem very intrigued by my words. I don't prepare a lot. I speak from the heart and I speak about what's on my mind. When I speak about my culture and I tell stories, I want it to be genuine.
Tsista Kennedy will enter Grade 12 in the fall at Saunders Secondary School. Another student, Isabella Frick, will sit as the TVDSB Indigenous trustee in the next school year.