Greetings, relatives. I am Jelana Bighorn and my parents are Jacob and Deloria Bighorn. As a registered member of the Fort Peck Sioux Tribes in Montana, I am an uninvited guest on the territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I honor the traditional stewards of the land. 

I was born in Seattle, WA and spent most of my childhood in the Pacific Northwest. Education has always been an integral aspect of my family. My maternal grandfather was one of the first Native American students to graduate from Oregon State University back in the 1940’s. Both my parents obtained master’s degrees in their perspective fields and ended up working in education for over 20 years. I have a very sweet memory of enrolling in my father’s BC First Nations Studies 12 course the first year that it was offered back in 1999. There was no textbook, just a set of PLO’s. He was delighted to have a formal space within the school structure to explore the beauty and history of BC’s Indigenous peoples using an Indigenous approach. I have been equally blessed to teach the same course during my own career and he is with me in spirit every time that I teach.

While I have been working in Vancouver for the majority of my career, my family moved to Duncan, BC while I was in elementary. Having lived my formative years on Vancouver Island, I have a great affinity and appreciation for the Island way of life. The Hul’qumi’num speaking people of the Cowichan Valley have been most generous in sharing their culture and their teachings with my family. I also had the honor of living in the Nass Valley amongst the Nisga’a people. My experience volunteering in School District 92 was profound and provided significant insight into the possibilities that emerge when Indigenous people have sovereignty over their education model.

I am currently enrolled at UBC and in the process of completing an M.A. in Educational Studies. There are many scholars and philosophers who have influenced my educational praxis and now I have an outlet to express how transformative those perspectives have been on my teaching practice. I enjoy engaging in dialogue with other educators and value each opportunity to learn and to expand my understanding. With the myriad stresses and lack of support for teachers in the classroom, the spaces for those conversations have been diminished. As a hopeful member of the BCTF EC, I intend to work tirelessly to ensure that the work and learning conditions of members are improved and protected, thereby allowing each of us to fulfil our noble intention of educating future generations.

PROVINCIAL ROLES:
Anti-Oppression Educators Collective
Executive Committee- Member At Large

Aboriginal Educator Advisory Committee
Committee member

British Columbia Teacher’s Federation
Executive Committee – Member At Large

LOCAL ROLES:
Vancouver Secondary Teacher’s Association
Executive Committee – Indigenous Chair

Vancouver Technical Secondary
Social and Environmental Justice Rep
Staff Rep

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