Prince George's Ts’udelhti Indigenous graduation ceremony going virtual

Prince George Citizen
May 14, 2020

A second annual Indigenous graduation ceremony in Prince George will move forward in a new way.

Last Spring, School District No. 57 (SD57) held its first-ever Indigenous graduation ceremony, known as Ts’udelhti, and brought more than 80 students and their family members together at Vanier Hall for a celebration of achievement and cultural identity.

Ts’udelhti will happen again this year, but in a different form because of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing protocols put in place by the provincial government.

For the second edition of Ts’udelhti, which means 'We Honour' in Dakelh Lheidli dialect, SD57’s Indigenous Education department is making a video that will seek to capture the spirit of a live ceremony.

The video will be available online to graduates and incoming Kindergarten students in late June and will feature many of the same elements as the inaugural event – congratulatory speeches by Nation dignitaries, an address by a graduating student who began his or her schooling in the Head Start program, and cultural performances.

“We will be recognizing the grads and their journey in the best way we can in the situation we’re in right now,” said Lance Potskin, who is working on Ts’udelhti 2020 with Lisa Provencher, Jennifer Pighin, Shendah Benoit and Noelle Pepin.

The list of guest speakers for the Ts’udelhti video is still being finalized, and the student who will give the address to fellow graduates and new Kindergartners has not yet been determined.

For entertainment, renowned Lheidli T’enneh folk singer Kym Gouchie will perform and so will jingle dress dancer Caitlyn McCarville.