Xyólheméylh and Archway Enter Collaboration Agreement

The Fraser Valley Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society, also known as Xyólheméylh, and Archway Community Services entered into an interagency collaboration agreement on Tuesday, Sept 27th in a signing ceremony. The ceremony joined the two families of Archway and Xyólheméylh. The agreement will strengthen services for Indigenous individuals who access Archway’s child, youth and family programming.

More than 40 individuals attended the ceremony including Indigenous elders, leaders from the Màthxwi (Matsqui) and Semà:th (Sumas) First Nations, city councillors, MLAs, and representatives from Xyólheméylh, Archway, Abbotsford School District, Foundry Central Office and the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MFCD).

“It’s an honour to have Archway embrace the wisdom of Xyólheméylh elders to improve programming and service delivery to the Indigenous children, youth and families we serve together,” said Penny Trites, Xyólheméylh Executive Director of Staff and Community Relations.

The goal of the partnership is to ensure that services provided by Archway and Xyólheméylh are integrated, coordinated and culturally safe for Indigenous clients. The partnership also enables Indigenous children, youth, and families to access a broader range of culturally safe services provided by both agencies.

Speaker Brice James was the event emcee, who shared his story and sang along with drummer Chris Jimmie. 

While Indigenous individuals have long been eligible and included in many Archway services, Archway committed to a more inclusive and intentional approach to understanding the history, culture, protocols and priorities of Indigenous Nations in their 2019-2023 strategic plan.

“Getting here has been a beautiful journey,” said Rod Santiago, Central Executive Director as he shared his personal and Archway’s journey to truth and reconciliation as they’ve grown in their understanding of Indigenous culture and history.

“By being more intentional about building relationships and listening to and learning from our Indigenous neighbours, we have gained a better understanding of the resiliency of their cultures and how we can be better allies.

“This formal agreement is an important step to signify our commitment to reconciliation and supporting Indigenous self-government. We’re extremely grateful to the Elders for sharing their wisdom with us.”

Archway and Xyólheméylh agree that, whenever possible, services to Indigenous individuals should be delivered and governed by Indigenous people. Since this is currently not always possible, Archway and Xyólheméylh are committed to developing and maintaining a collaborative partnership.

Going forward there will be regular meetings between representatives of Archway and Xyólheméylh for information sharing, guidance, and reviewing gaps and successes in community services for Indigenous individuals. Archway staff will have the benefit of an Elders Advisory group from Xyólheméylh who will work directly with Archway. Their guidance will reduce barriers to access and deepen and broaden the cultural safety of services across Archway and in specific programs within the Archway Counselling, Child, Youth and Families department.

 Xyólheméylh leaders and Elder’s Advisory Group at a strategic planning event in September 2022

“What we have here is an amazing relationship that is going to move us forward,” said Kyla Darby, Xyólheméylh Executive Director of Programs. “And I’m hoping this challenges other community organization to do what we’ve done here.”

The Speaker of the signing ceremony was Brice James a member of Semà:th First Nations who also sang with drummer Chris Jimmie to open and close the ceremony.

Rod Santiago and Maria Cargnelli of Archway along with Kyla Darby and Laura-Dawn Wilkin of Xyólheméylh signed the agreement on behalf of their two families. The ceremony was witnessed by Màthxwi Chief Alice Mckay, Semà:th council member Troy Ganseveld, MCFD Executive Director of Services Walter Serraglio, Abbotsford School Superintendent Kevin Godden, Deputy Mayor Ross Siemens, and MLA Bruce Banman. Witnesses commit to bringing back what they learned to their communities and shared their observations after the document signing.

Chief Mckay shared that the children’s services agency has grown leaps and bounds and that they are now working together to care for their children. “The most important thing to me is our children because we’re building our future.”

Ganseveld compared the ceremony to wedding vows and advised that similarly “to be successful and strong there needs to be lines of communication, the respect for one another’s agencies and openness to criticism to help build each other up.”

Serraglio reflected on how things have changed over his past 33-year career with MCFD and how things have changed for the better. Serraglio said he heard the challenge and will go back to his work and personal family to share what he learned.

Godden recognized that schools have been weaponized against Indigenous culture and paraphrased Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair when he shared “schools got us here and schools will get us out.” Godden also talked about the importance of helping students develop a positive personal and cultural identity so everyone is proud of who they are.

Siemens said it was meaningful for “us as a city” and recognized the partnerships between all the agencies saying, “we’re working together, it’s about not just physical healing but spiritual healing.”

Banman talked about how his family history going back to the late 1800s was intertwined with local First Nations. He thanked the First Nations for sharing their wealth back then and now, despite it not always being repaid. “What we all want as we move forward is for what’s right and what’s best for our children. This marriage of these two families is more than just symbolism, it’s much more than that. It will help with healing as we move forward and will help for us to learn about one another.”

In his closing remarks, James shared, “people are healing and that’s a beautiful thing.”

“The next generation is embracing our culture… our future looks pretty good.”

Attendees were given a parting gift of a pebble for grounding and to remind people of our connection to the land and to community. Small paddles were also gifted to signify that we all share a responsibility to paddle together. “Now we’re all in the same boat and we will travel a lot faster and a lot more efficiently,” said James.

Some of the staff from Archway and Xyólheméylh who helped develop the agreement.