VIDEO: Sk’elep School students deliver powerful message on residential school in original song

Students from Sk’elep School of Excellence had a unique opportunity when professional music producers visited their school last fall.

Their song and music video honouring Secewpemc culture and history, dubbed We Won’t Forget You, debuted on YouTube in December thanks to support from the non-profit organization N’we Jinan, which brings a mobile recording studio into schools across North America.

The project aims to help youth express themselves musically, and N’we Jinan has produced dozens of music videos with Aboriginal youth across the country.

Director of N’we Jinan, David Hodges spent four days with a select group of students from Sk’elep School of Excellence in November. He and other producers worked with Grade 7 students and one Grade 6 student from Nov. 15 to Nov. 19 to create the song and shoot the music video on the Tk’emlups reserve.

We Won’t Forget you was written and performed by students Akita, Tiffany, Tyra, Denaya, Trynity, Semiah, Mayson, Shaya, Riley, Cash and Kaya.

Hodges said the song concept came from the efforts of Sk'elep School to teach the students about the residential school and the effects it may have had on their family tree. Sk’elep School of Excellence is built on the field of the Kamloops Indian Residential School, which operated from 1893 to 1977.

“The students had an incredible amount of knowledge on the issue and really wanted to create a song that would honor what happened in the past, but would also demonstrate the importance that culture and language plays in their current education,” Hodges said. “The kids love their school, it's incredible.”

Check out more videos starring Aboriginal youth on N’we Jinan’s YouTube channel.