Linda Jack (left) is fed up with being unable to read and write. She helped spearhead a literacy program tailored for Indigenous Elders at Vancouver Island University. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

new beginnings

‘There is so much hope and love:’ Indigenous literacy program for Elders unveiled at VIU

Oct 20, 2021 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO — Disadvantaged Indigenous Elders from around the mid-Island are excited about the possibilities decades after being soured by their classroom experiences.

Championed by Cowichan Tribes Elder Linda Jack, a close friend of hers and numerous community advocates, a program was created at Nanaimo’s VIU campus to provide basic reading and writing skills.

Following the opening day of “The Literacy Circle” on Monday, Oct 18, Jack said she’s excited about being able to participate fully in day to day life. In front of classmates, program supporters and VIU officials, Jack put a scarf over her head to demonstrate what it’s like going through life unable to read or write.

“That’s how we all felt for a lot of years, walking with our heads down and today we see the lights today that we are going to move forward and we are going to learn,” Jack said with optimism.

While VIU has a basic adult education program, the university states it involves specific outcomes which must be met.

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Jack said a supportive program made for Elders traumatized by their past education experiences would create ideal learning conditions.

She’s now excited about going to school, as opposed to her day school experience where Jack said she and other students faced various forms of abuse.

“For my future I have goals, I want to get my license, I want my grade twelve, then I’m thinking maybe I’ll keep going and help others that are stuck like me,” Jack said, citing her deceased parents and sister who were also illiterate as sources of inspiration.

The Literacy Circle program runs for seven weeks every Monday and Wednesday for two hours and has twelve participants from the Nanaimo area, Port Alberni and the Cowichan Valley.

There are even two cancer survivors eager to learn.

The program is taught by Janet Sinclair, who came out of retirement to guide what she described is a group of learners “full of love and hope.”

“We talked a lot about trust, how important it is for them to feel that they can trust me as a teacher and trust the process of what’s going to happen with this program,” Sinclair said, who herself faced challenges as a single mother returning to school later in life.

Focusing on individual goals will be critical to the success of the participants and the program, Sinclair said.

Several private donors provided vital support roles for The Literacy Circle, including food, transportation and supplies for students.

Literacy Central Vancouver Island is assisting by providing one-on-one support for participants who want additional help.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes