Shirley Anne Swelchalot qas te Shxwha:yathel Hardman

MET Instructor

MET Courses: ETEC 521

A Stó:lō ascendant, I carry two ancestral names: Shxwhá:yathel and Swelchalot. I live and work in the territory of my ancestors; my home is in the Shxwhá:y Village.

I am currently a doctoral candidate at UBC and the recipient of SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship.

I am immersed in the work of Indigenizing, and, more recently, I have become engaged in Reconciliation education.  Indigenizing is most simply making the institution both responsive and responsible to Indigenous peoples’ goals of self-determination and well-being.  Reconciliation education is to prepare all learners to engage in improved relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.  I arrived in MET through the support of my doctoral advisor, the late Dr. Michael Marker.  Recognizing the potential of colonialism to influence technological forms, it is imperative that we also identify technology, on our own terms, as useful in cultural expression and in educational policy and practice.

I believe that each one of us has a gift given to us by our ancestors. I believe that we must honor our gifts. It is because of these beliefs that I pursue education and resurgence for our people. I lift my hands to the Ones who have come before. It is because of them that I am who I am.

Ey Si:yam Hoych’ka Si:yam.