Survivors Graduation

Honouring a Journey Beyond Graduation

The Survivors Graduation was created to honour Residential School Survivors and Day Scholars who attended St. Augustine Indian Residential School and other Residential Schools who were denied the opportunity to complete their secondary education. Rather than focusing on what was taken from them, the ceremony recognized their life experiences, strength, resilience, and knowledge as achievements worthy of recognition and celebration.

The initiative grew from a commitment made by the Sunshine Coast Board of Education following the release of a shíshálh Nation video on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021. In the video, Elders ti'talus Audrey Joe Santiago and Ɂenchelain Valerie Joe Bourne spoke about their experiences and the profound impacts of the Residential and Day School systems. In response, the Board committed to working with the shíshálh Nation to formally recognize Survivors who had not been given the opportunity to graduate.

On September 17, 2025, Survivors and their families gathered at the shíshálh Nation Community Hall for a historic graduation ceremony.

Survivors became Graduates, wearing beautifully woven cedar graduation caps and ceremonial blankets. Each Graduate received a cedar Eagle feather and an honorary graduation certificate recognizing their life experiences as equivalent to secondary school completion and beyond.

The vision for the ceremony came from Hereditary Chief Ɂakista xaxanak Garry Feschuk, with the support of xwash Steven Feschuk, Nanika Paul of the shíshálh Nation Cultural Department, syiyaya Reconciliation Movement, the Sunshine Coast School District, and many community members and partners. Drumming, singing, cultural protocol, ceremony, and a shared feast transformed the graduation into a powerful celebration of recognition, dignity, and belonging.

More than a graduation, the gathering was an act of truth and reconciliation—a way to acknowledge the education Survivors were denied while honouring everything they have learned, carried, overcome, and contributed throughout their lives. It was also a commitment to future generations: that education must be a place of respect and belonging, where every learner is seen, valued, and honoured for who they are.

Watch the Survivors

Witness this historic and deeply moving gathering as Survivors, families, and community come together to honour a journey of strength, recognition, and reconciliation.

Film by Tamar Kozlov © 2026 syiyaya Reconciliation Movement