The Semiahmoo First Nation (SFN) and Surrey School District’s Xw’epiteng Elementary school community recently came together for a cedar tree planting ceremony that marked the start of the next chapter in the school’s land-based learning journey. Throughout 2025, the school has transformed its curriculum with ceremony, teachings, hands-on experiences, and a growing outdoor land-based learning program. The planting of the cedar was intentionally done in an unhurried manner that was aligned to the seasons, readiness, and relationships, explains Surrey Schools. “That tree is in the soil and connecting to everything,” explained SFN member Roxanne Charles. “It’s going to provide a lot of medicine to the space. When we complete the work, the ancestors are happy, the work flows more safely and smoothly.” In the future, the school staff and students hope to rewild the area around the cedar tree with native plants as part of the broader effort to care for the community.
