Art/Artists:
“The Secret Pocket” Weaving: The unveiling of Master Weaver’s, Angela George (Tseil-wututh First Nation), “Secret Pocket” Salish Weaving was held March 8, 2022, at Fraserview Learning Centre. The weaving is available to borrow through Siwal Si’wes Library.
Mi’emhoelh: Voice recording from Elder Dr. Elizabeth Phillips
A Weaver’s Voice: Coast Salish Wool Weavings Curated by Selena Kearney
Balancing History Study Guide for Warp Weft Weave: Joining Generations
“People in the 21st Century, in societies and communities around the world are beginning to be willing and still enough to listen to many voices from history that have not been previously heard and recognized. As Canadians try as individuals, communities, and systems to come to terms with the past and the injustices that First Peoples worldwide have suffered, we need to decide how to move forward, balancing history, filling in the lines with the stories and histories that have all but been erased. Jenn Ashton’s story is one of those stories.
This guide is aimed at upper grades, the questions and activities suggested here may be used in any class from Social Studies to English and the Arts, encouraging students to use their creative voice in answering the questions posed.”
Recommended for Grade 8-12
Indigenous Art Practices – Professional Development Series and Resources
“This workshop series content was designed with K-12 educators in mind who wish to incorporate the Indigenous arts into their educational practices. This archival website makes available resources used and videos of key presentations made during the sessions. We invite teachers and other educators from any discipline or support service area to use them to deepen their learning around Indigenous art practices.”
12 Original Halq’eméylem placenames paintings by Bon Graham [b.wyse] with story and narration by Sonny McAlsie.
2022 BC Achievement Foundation: Fulmer Award in First Nations Art
First Peoples’ Cultural Council: First Peoples’ Map of BC – Interactive Arts Map
“Indigenous artistic practices in B.C. are diverse. Artists working across all disciplines are honouring traditions and experimenting with contemporary approaches. The Arts Map provides an online environment for Indigenous artists and arts groups to create profiles and share images, video, sound, and news. Users can explore the map by focusing on specific locations or by defining their search with keywords and filters. This is a community-driven platform dedicated to highlighting the important creative voices of Indigenous artists.”
Jaime Black: The REDress Project
“Jaime Black is a multidisciplinary artist of mixed Anishinaabe and Finnish decent. Black’s art practice engages in themes of memory, identity, place and resistance and is grounded in an understanding of the body and the land as sources of cultural and spiritual knowledge.” (Source: artist website)
Christi Belcourt: “Everything – the plants, insects, winds, stars, rocks, animals, us – is a giant web of pure spirit. Nothing is separate from anything else. The spirit world surrounds us at all moments and is present in all things. If its possible we live in a planet surrounded by stars, then nothing is impossible.” (excerpt from Artist Statement)
Jason Carter: “Jason Carter is a proud contemporary Indigenous artist from Little Red River Cree Nation currently based in beautiful Alberta, Canada. He is a sculptor, painter, illustrator, public artist and graphic designer, and his work can be seen worldwide.” (Source: artist website)
Annette S. Lee: Artist/Astronomer
“My name is Annette S. Lee, I am mixed-race Lakota, Irish, and Chinese. My communities are Ojibwe and D(L)akota. I grew up in St. Louis Missouri with stars and art always in my blood. I am often asked, “What came first astronomy or art?” my reply is, “Neither and both.” (Excerpt from artist statement)
Melissa Peter-Paul: Melissa is a Mi’kmaw Quill Artist from Abegweit First Nation, located in Epekwitk (PEI.)
Roy Henry Vickers : This BC First Nations artist’s commercial website that offers pictures of his paintings along with commentary about many of them.
Thomas King, “I’m Not the Indian You Had in Mind” : Creative video dramatization of Thomas King’s spoken word poem “I’m Not the Indian You Had in Mind”. (Middle School, High School)
Northwest Coast Painted Designs : “This educational resource focuses on Northwest Coast two-dimensional painted design. It is inspired by Lyle Wilson’s exhibition “Paint: The Painted Works of Lyle Wilson, …” Includes detailed lesson plans along with resources (pictures and stories) to use within the lesson. (Primary)
Luke Marston : This Coast Salish artist’s commercial website that offers a biography with video, and slide shows of the developmental stages of some of his projects.
Susan Point : This Coast Salish artist’s commercial website, offering a biography of the artist, and a description of Coast Salish history and culture. Digital galleries of her work are also presented.
Formline Design
Northwest Coast Formline Design : Definitions and Student Activities – Art Kit Textbook Grade 5-8. Curriculum from Sealaska Heritage Institute, Juneau, Alaska. this is a teachers guide to art from Indigenous cultures in this general geographic area, including Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian.
Coast Salish Design Elements : Artist Qwalsius. A brief overview of two dimensional shapes used in Coast Salish design of Natives of the Pacific Northwest Coast Art tradition. This also explains briefly how this art form is not a formline tradition but a tradition unto it’s own serving the needs of it’s people, its community. [4:52 min. video]
Northwest Coast Formline Design : the Ovoid : Artiist X’unei Lance Twitchell. This video is meant to showcase northern styles, particularly of the Haida and Tlingit people. It shows the creation of an ovoid, and the many design options that can build off of this primary shape. It is meant to highlight basic design steps and methods, but the choices an artist makes in composition help determine individual and cultural styles. [7 min video]
Northwest Coast Formline Design : Salmon-Trout Head : Artist X’unei Lance Twitchell. This video is meant to showcase northern styles, particularly of the Haida and Tlingit people. It shows the creation of two variations of inner ovoids: the salmon-trout head and spirit face. [7:34 min. video]
Perpetual Salish : Coast Salish Art in the Classroom. An online resource centre for teachers, offering cross-curricular lesson plans to engage students and facilitate their understanding of Coast Salish culture and art. From University of Victoria, Legacy Art Galleries.
Music:
CBC Article & Video: AFN honours singer Jully Black for her change to Canada’s anthem
Good Medicine Songs: Presented by Skwah First Nation and Artist Response Team.
Includes educator handbook and student guide, as well as audio playlists of songs.
“The Good Medicine Songs project team involved Stó:lō Elders and singers Siyamiyateliyot, Eddie Gardner, Ethel Gardner and Jonny Williams, Wilds band members Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright, coordinator Valerie O’Connal from Skwah First Nation and eventually Cheyenne Gardner added her voice and Bon Graham graced the pages with her beautiful artwork. We created four bilingual songs in Halq’eméylem (traditional Stó:lō language of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia) and English, for children of all backgrounds to sing together.”
#Rebel Music Soundtrack – The Revolutionary Sounds of Native America : MTV World’s music documentary series Rebel Music kicks off its second season with the voices of Turtle Island’s original peoples—the revolutionary sounds of “Native America”. The Indigenous music renaissance is here. The revolution is just getting started. This soundtrack features Indigenous music groups featured in this documentary. (Middle School, High School)
Co-ed Song (Stó:lō) : This song is from the Fraser Valley Area.
Coast Salish Welcome Song : Traditional Coast Salish Welcome Song performed by Chief Ian Campbell of the Squamish Nation.
Indigenous Women’s Warrior Song :
Film/Video
Trevor Mack, film maker
The Blanketing : “A gift of death is avenged by a nation in this powerful tribute to the ancestors who fought for survival from extinction.” [8m] — Trevor Mack This movie is a historical fiction rendition of how blankets with small pox brought by Europeans caused small pox to infest and cause much death within indigenous populations. Indigenous people survived! This film is in English and, I think, Chilcotin with English subtitles. Trevor Mack Website containing additional information about the background of this short film, including a behind the scenes video showing how the movie was made. (Middle School, High School)
Clouds of Autumn : A film by Trevor mack & Matthew Taylor Blais. “Set on the Tsilhqot’in plateau in the 1970s, Clouds of Autumn focuses on a young Indigenous boy named William and his older sister Shayl whose carefree childhoods are torn apart when Shayl is forced to attend a residential school. Singular visual interpretations infuse co-director Trevor Mack’s family history with a slowly shifting tone that evokes loss and love.” [14m 55s] –Trevor Mack. This film is in Chilcotin (I think) with English subtitles. Here is the behind the scenes video showing the making of this award winning short film. Mack used his family and friends as actors for this movie. (Middle School, High School)
Siwal Si'wes Digital Library 