1. VERENA COOTES-WILHELMSON
5485 CliffridgeAvenue,North Vancouver,BC V7R 3A5 | 60.971.2952| vwilhelmson422@gmail.com
EDUCATION
Simon FraserUniversity,Burnaby, BC
M.Ed in IndigenousLeadership and Curriculumand Instruction 2003
The Intergenerational Affects ofResidentialSchools onToday’s ClassroomLearners:
A Narrative and Life Historyofan Aboriginal Teacher. My major paper andproject
Explained thedifference betweenmy mother and father’s experiences at theAlberni Indian
Residential School(AIRS); onehaving a critically formed opinionand the other inpure
Grade Point Average of3.85
University ofBritishColumbia
B.Ed in Elementary, Major in First NationsStudiesand Minor inLanguage Arts 1993
Faculty of Education, NativeIndian Teacher Education Program[NITEP]
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Native Education College
Instructor-AABEEnglish 10 Present
Assess FirstNations studentneeds,developcurrent syllabus,and administer grades
Instructor-Family and Community-English 110 2014
Followed syllabus andoverallcoursestructure andadministeredgrades
Instructor-AABE, Surrey 2013
Developed syllabus andsuccessfully graduated 5 women fromAABEin collaborationwith Native
Women’s AssociationofCanada and FraserRegion AboriginalFriendship Centre Society. I taught all
subjectareas for womento completeBC Adult Dogwood.
Instructor-Family and Community Counseling, Capacity Building 2012
Taught in a culturally appropriate stylefor First Nations students andadministeredgrades
RELATED EXPERIENCE
AcwsalctaSchool, Nuxalk Nation,Curriculum Developer 2010 –2011
Compiledinformation, researched templates,communicated withMinistry ofEducation,consulted
with community members andelders and language orcultural teachers in orderto have Nuxalk
languagecurriculumcustomizedfor theProvince.
Squamish Nation.Xwmlchst’n, Capilano Littlest Ones School
Instructional Administrator 2004-2005
Managed staffof8, provided professionaldevelopment on best practices, budgetedannualcosts.
University ofBritishColumbia
On-campusCoordinator,NITEP 2002-2003
Advised 3rd,4th and 5th year students intheFaculty ofEducation,Liaisedwith Teacher Education Office,
And supervised studentplacements in public, bandoperated, and independent schools
First Nations HouseofLearning
Coordinator Student Services 1997-2001
Senior Administratorfor Aboriginalstudents attending theUniversityofBritish Columbia;
Processing scholarships,bursaries andgrants and fellowships for graduateandundergraduates;
Recruiting and retaining students by accessing resources suchas housing, admissions or academic
Advising.

2. VERENA COOTES-WILHELMSON PAGE 2
PUBLICATIONS AND PAPERS
Residential Schools: With the Words and Images ofSurvivors, Loyie, Larry and Brissenden, Constance 2014
Contributor and Provider ofImages
First Nations Longhouse, Commemorative 10th Year Anniversary. JoanneArchibald and Verna
Kirkness (1997). Mentioned as a contributorto theplanning stages ofthe Longhouseby my
interviews with a groupofElders including thelateVinceTsimlano Stogan, Late SimonKhot-lah-cha
Baker, MinnieCroft andKenHarris. 1997
[Pick the Year]
LANGUAGES
English –Educatedin English andfluent.
AboriginalLanguage-Keeninterestandvastawareness ofAboriginal Languages inCanada.
French –University Levelandcultural knowledgeofspokenlanguageas well as written proficiency.
Spanish-Speak read and writes with basiccompetency (3 monthimmergenceinGuatemala.
Verena Cootes’ Profile
Verena Cootes (Nuu-chah-nulth from Ucluelet First Nation, adopted into Hesquiaht) has dedicated her professional life to making
standards of living better for Aboriginal peoples.
Verena has taught at all levels, including teacher education, and her main areas of interest include curriculum and instruction,
indigenous leadership, Aboriginal language revitalization, First Nations education, literacy, diversity, and the inter-generational
impacts of residential schools on Canada’s First Nations.
Verena loves giving confidence to reluctant learners, and helping peopleovercome barriers in society. Whether in Toronto, Bella
Coola, or Hilo, Hawaii, Verena has found inspiration in the trials and triumphs of her students, colleagues, administrators, and elders,
who in turn inspired her to complete a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.
Verena believes strongly in puttingherself into the role of the learner, and she has taken it upon herself to learn one new thing a year.
In the process, she has completed several professionaldevelopment certificates, earned her Wilderness First Responders Certificate,
and became an Introductory Kayak Instructor at an outdoor education program where she lived for a month in a tent.
The proudest days of Verena’s life happened in theyears 1999, 2001 and 2004 when she gave birth to Julian, Morgan, and Camille
respectively, because being a loving, dedicated mother during the best and worst of times means themost to her. Verena’s adopted
family from Hesquiaht have named her and all three of her children.
Verena is also passionateabout travel, both for work and pleasure: and Canada, Guatemala, France, China and New York are among
the places she has lived and travelled.