The Land and Language Based Learning Program is offered at Ladysmith Secondary school on Vancouver Island. Located roughly 1.5 hours away from where I live, I had no idea that such a powerful program existed. The program was created by Mandy Jones, a member of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, and William Taylor.
The website explains what the course is all about, and tells of a particularly impressive project undertaken by the program. The program created an eagle sculpture, house posts, and traditional weaving to stand in the school foyer. It was a beautiful display of Coast Salish craftsmanship. The project was a massive undertaking, that required dedication from many people at various levels in education. The process, from selecting the log, to raising the structure is outlined well on the website. What I noticed is because the massive project took a considerable amount of time, investment, patience, knowledge, learning, etc., it became a big part of many people’s lives. Imagine a gigantic woodworking project taking place at the entrance of a school for many years. Students and staff working on it early in the morning, during the day, and after school. It builds a sense of community, and questions what is typically valued in a western educational system.