Website 1
Perpetual Salish Artist Interviews
What is it?:
A video of interviews from Indigenous artists who took part in the Perpetual Salish art show in 2015 and curated by artist lessLIE.
Why I chose it:
I particularly like the interview with LessLIE where he talks about his work “Ate Salmon” which starts around the 3 minute mark. It’s important for students to be exposed to the actual voices of Indigenous artists, not just what a non-indigenous teacher tells them about that artist. Videos like this, where the artists have a chance to speak directly about their work, inspirations and influences are vital to helping students understand that Indigenous arts and cultures are both current and vibrant. When we truly and deeply understand that, it is much easier to recognize how we can show appreciation towards this art form, as opposed to stepping over the line of appropriation.
Website 2
Coast Salish Art Lesson
What is it?:
Sarah Jim, an emerging W̱SÁNEĆ artist, gives an explanation of the basics of Coast Salish art with the Sidney School mascot, the bee, as an example.
Why I chose it:
I live, work and play in W̱SÁNEĆ territory, and I was really excited to find a video from a local artist explaining exactly the content I’m currently teaching in my middle school art classes. It can be really difficult to find Indigenous guest speakers, and although this isn’t nearly as amazing as having someone come in to speak to a class in person, a video is the next best thing. It’s so important to go as local as possible with our resources when working to indigenize our classrooms and curriculum. I intend to include some very place-specific resources in my guide not just for other teachers in SD61, but also as a means of showing best practices for anybody else who might use the website. Putting in the work to find and amplify local Indigenous voices is one way of showing appreciation for Indigenous ways of learning and knowing.
Website 3
Makerspaces and Indigenous Learning
https://luclalande.medium.com/ac-makerspace-and-indigenous-learning-b2106c526e06
What is it?:
A series of short posts imagining the potential of makerspaces inspired by Indigenous worldviews and cultural practices: that blends the past and the future, knowledge transmission between elders and youth; a space that promotes deeper awareness of Indigenous culture through collaborative “making” projects and a space to inspire innovative ideas to make the world a better place.
Why I chose it:
“Are we recognizing that the very principles that are shaping how we are creating the 21st Century Makerspace learning environments are those same principles that have guided the indigenous peoples for centuries, the very principles and values that were taken from them when traditional school was created?” — Zoe Branigan-Pipe.
As digital and technologically enabled art becomes more and more popular, it is important that we turn to Indigenous voices who are already making use of these new digital spaces. This website has a ton of amazing links to resources that could spark many project ideas for art teachers who want to Indigenize the lessons they create with new technologies. A makerspace informed by Indigenous worldviews (and through hands-on and collaborative learning) will help students explore Indigenous culture, while learning technology through sharing of knowledge and experimenting. It would put into practice the merging of culture and technology.
Website 4
Create to Learn
What is it?:
A free online learning resource in partnership with imagineNATIVE. It includes video tutorials on digital skills and traditional knowledge using digital tools, and all videos are created by First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists and media makers to share their skills.
Why I chose it:
This is a really well designed website with a ton of amazing video resources on it. Although the videos are a bit too long for most middle/highschool students, they are a great resource for teachers, and a lot of the artists do a good job of explaining their processes, inspirations and cultural teachings. It can be hard for teachers to find authentic resources for Indigenous arts, and I particularly like how most of the videos are from young, contemporary Indigenous artists. Drawing from contemporary artists helps students connect to the content as they learn about Indigenous culture. Seeing and connecting to Indigenous worldviews helps students build empathy, understanding and appreciation for these art forms.
Website 5
Canada and Ideas of the Land: Online Gallery Visit
https://ago.ca/lesson-plan/canada-and-ideas-land-online-gallery-visit
What is it?:
The ARt Gallery of Ontario provides lesson plans and resources for teachers. This program delves into understanding and exploring artists’ connections to land and leads students to consider their own contemporary, traditional and/or cultural connections of what land means to them. By looking at both 2D and 3D works of art, students will discover how Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists have interpreted their sense of belonging on the land in Canada, and how it is exemplified in their artistic practices. During this visit, we aim to discover, inquire and create works of art that explore how artists are influenced by Canada’s land and people.
Why I chose it:
I like that the key ideas in these activities closely align with the BC curriculum. For example, “How are artists and their works of art influenced by Canada’s land and people?” and “In what ways have different artists used visual language to share ideas, express land, nature and materials at different moments in time?” Using art as a lens through which to view the historical and current mistreatment of Indigenous peoples in Canada is an excellent way to help middle and highschool aged students grasp the difficulties Indigenous communities still face today. It also allows students to explore a nuanced view of Indigenous culture through different time periods.
Website 6
The Revolution Has Begun – Keynote by Christi Belcourt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqBXDPzyLm0
https://canadianart.ca/features/walking-softly-with-christi-belcourt/
In conjunction with the Walking with our Sisters Project
http://walkingwithoursisters.ca/
What is it?:
Keynote address at the Maamwizing Conference with Laurentian University at Science North, November 2016 by Christi Belcourt, a Métis visual artist and author.
Why I chose it:
In her address Cristi says, “I have heard talks, I have heard the hope, I have heard promises for change. I myself have been inspired at conferences, and perhaps those were in my naïve days when I didn’t know then what I know now—and that is what is happening to the earth.”
She goes on to say that “Reconciliation is neither comfortable nor convenient, and it shouldn’t be […] reconciliation without land returned and a correction of all that has resulted from our dispossession is not even possible.”
Art is not just culture, but also resistance and often drives social justice movements. Christi Belcourt is a great artist to dive into with older students as we begin to talk about art as protest and the role it often plays in bringing mainstream attention to larger issues. “Belcourt’s practice bridges the immense efforts of self-organizing, resisting and sharing knowledge on the land with the space of the gallery, yet works to decentre the colonial gaze inherent in these institutions.” Centring and amplifying the voices of Indigenous artists is critical to opening up this conversation with students, and provides some amazing opportunities for cross curricular connections.
