Indigenous Culture and Student Support Worker with Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools, Tulugak Payette, centre, with Anne Kang, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, and Member of Legislative Assembly for Nanaimo-Ladysmith, George Anderson. Tulugak was awarded the BC Medal of Good Citizenship in Victoria last Friday, Nov. 21. (Province of British Columbia photo)
By Mandy Moraes, NLPS Staff
Nineteen-year-old Tulugak Payette, whose voice has inspired many and whose advocacy has made a difference in classrooms, has also been recognized across the province.
Payette recently graduated from Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools, and is now an Indigenous Support Worker with the school district. This month, they received British Columbia’s Medal of Good Citizenship for community leadership.
Several NLPS staff members, including Learning Alternatives principal Brett Hancock, nominated Payette and described them as a strong advocate for inclusion and social change.
In recent years, Payette has become a young but influential advocate for Indigenous education, cultural awareness, and student safety. As a student at Learning Alternatives, they started smudging practices and led cultural learning sessions.
In 2023, Payette shared a powerful poem and speech at the City of Nanaimo’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event, speaking to about 3,000 people.
In his nomination letter, Hancock reflected on how meaningful that moment was:
“Tulugak had the audience captivated, and you could hear a pin drop when they spoke. Their words described a heavy truth, but more importantly, their message was one of hope… Watching Tulugak on that stage, it was clear that they are already a powerful leader with a bright future ahead.”
Payette has shared their story at school events, district gatherings, and community spaces like the Vault Café’s open mic night, in an effort to help others better understand Canada’s history and the lasting effects of colonization.
Based on their own experiences with harassment at school, Payette helped update the district’s harassment policy by working with NLPS staff to make schools safer for students.
“I believe students should learn about this history in a safe environment where they can ask questions and feel supported,” they said. “When I was younger, we didn’t have as much reconciliation education. I had to learn a lot on my own, and that was hard. It’s so much easier when you have a community around you.”
Now, Payette works at École Quarterway Elementary and École Pauline Haarer Elementary, teaching Indigenous cultural education, and supporting students in classrooms and through one-on-one connections.
“I want to be the person I needed when I was younger,” they said. “Helping students feel safe and seen is really important to me.”
After gaining more experience, Payette plans to study Indigenous history and literature at university, and to keep working as an Indigenous activist.
Their advocacy is also shaped by their neurodivergent and LGBT identities.
“My advocacy has always been a mix of all three parts of who I am,” they said. “That’s important to my story, too.”