STF president Patrick Maze. (File photo/ CJME News staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Maze honours Thunderchild

STF president Maze ‘disappointed saddened, and shocked’ after Thunderchild’s passing

Apr 17, 2021 | 4:59 PM

When Saskatchewan Teachers Federations (STF) President Patrick Maze heard the news about the passing of Prince Albert Carlton counsellor Victor Thunderchild, he felt several emotions all at once. Thunderchild died in hospital Saturday morning, after being diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier in the month.

“I’m incredibly disappointed, saddened, and shocked. Victor was a good friend, from knowing him as an STF counsellor and as a local executive member with Prince Albert and area teachers,” Maze said. “He was such a good friend, a phenomenal person, and a great leader. Saskatchewan has really lost a really great man.”

Maze talked about the impact Thunderchild had in Prince Albert and across the province both in the classroom and in First Nations communities. He mentioned Thunderchild had won some awards for his excellence in teaching, including the BOB Award in 2018 for the Best Secondary Teacher.

“Victor was a mentor to so many, and a really great teacher. I know a few years ago, he won an award for being such a valuable high school teacher,” Maze said. “He was a role model and really proud of his First Nations heritage and proud of building community amongst First Nations people. He’s just going to be greatly missed. I know I’ve had conversations with him about what it means to indigenize organizations, including the federation. So he’s always coming from a respectful and positive way. It’s really sad. He’s going to be greatly missed.”

Maze and the STF have urged the Government of Saskatchewan to do more to help keep students, teachers and school staff safe throughout the pandemic. Maze said because the government employs teachers, it’s their job to keep teachers safe, and that what happened to Thunderchild was preventable.

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“[They] have a responsibility to provide a safe workspace. We’ve been harping on this for months and months. This didn’t need to happen. It’s tragic and it’s unfortunate,” Maze said. “We’ve been asking the government to move to online at times. We’ve been asking the government to vaccinate frontline staff and it all seems to have fallen on deaf ears. It seems like it’s been a calculated loss from the government’s perspective that didn’t need to happen.”

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW