Presenter: Trish McPhail (Kitasoo & Heiltsuk First Nations)
Time: 1:30-2:45
Location: Glacier View MP 182
Note: Please just bring yourselves and water or beverage to sip on and perhaps a cozy blanket.
Max. 50
Please join me to share some energy and space to talk about how to build capacity and positive engagement with students and fellow staff members.
In today’s world we glorify rushing and often miss the opportunity to make deeper connections with those we spend the most time with in an effort to cram in course criteria.
This session will include a part of my 60’s Scoop Adoption Story, how I overcame systemic barriers and how I came to be a strong advocate for our Youth through an Indigenous Lens. I will share ideas on tools that you can utilize to help inspire your students to walk with respect, teach them about collective responsibility and help them show up in a positive way for themselves and one another.
Trish McPhail from the Kitasoo and Heiltsuk First Nations
Hello, my name is Trish McPhail, I am from the Kitasoo & Heiltsuk Nations. I live in the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island with my husband of 28 years & our three amazing children. I would like to share with you a little bit about who I am. During my school years I grew up in many different towns & communities in BC. I began my childhood in Haida Gwaii, where I was so lucky to live until I was in Grade 4. I am grateful for living in a small remote mining town because it allowed for incredible connections to nature.
I have a deep love for the ocean, rivers, forests & our coastal wildlife. I was adopted and as an adult I discovered that I was a 60’s+ Scoop Baby; taken against my birth mother’s will & given to a non- Indigenous family. Due to this practice, I and thousands of other children like me were deprived of the opportunity to be raised with the traditional teachings of our beautiful Indigenous ways.
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May 15, 2026
1:30 pm - 2:45 pm