The eagle flies the highest in the sky, and in a coast salish story people would seek guidance from the eagle to gain knowledge of faraway places. This representational eagle wing relief was created to bring the knowledge to students as they seek guidance in their studies. -- Marissa Nahanee

Land acknowledgement

This short video positions the presenter as a settler on unceeded territories, and speaks to the importance of land acknowledgements. It is also an introduction to diversity of First Nations and the tendency of setter society to homogenize Indigenous peoples and cultures.

Preparing to teach and learn with Indigenous art

In the video above, Sara Florence Davidson shares a brief introduction to the Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 1, 8, and April 5, 2023.

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.

Educators who participated in Indigenous Art Practices learned more about Indigenous Arts, including visual, music, dance, and story. The series was three, free online sessions, that included opportunities to explore Indigenous art, related materials, and educational resources. Educators learned about practices and protocols to respectfully engage with Indigenous art, and they were invited to draft an initial plan to incorporate learning about Indigenous Arts in their classrooms and/or teaching practice.

This series and content was developed to support educators with these questions:

How do we respectfully bring Indigenous arts into our teaching practice when we are unable to invite an Indigenous artist to lead our learning?
How can we, as non-Indigenous educators or Indigenous educators from different Nations from the art we are sharing, support students to engage in non-appropriative Indigenous arts practices?
How can we, as educators, support Indigenous resurgence through Indigenous arts education?

The facilitators for this series were both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. It was noted that as Indigenous peoples, we take up this work differently. Our different choices reflect our diverse lived experiences, upbringing, learning, Nations, and identities. Please remember that there is no one way to do this work, and the facilitators shared what they knew and understood when the series took place.

In the above video, Laura D’Amico explains how Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series was designed to build participants' confidence in and capacity to design and implement activities (independently and with colleagues) that respectfully engage students with Indigenous art. The role that particular presentations, materials, templates and practice experiences were meant to play in meeting that goal are outlined.

Session 1: Background, appreciating, and selecting art resources

Below are videos capturing commentary shared during the original live sessions. They are intended to be viewed in the order listed.

Northwest Coast "Art" [Video, 10:16 minutes]
In this short introduction to Northwest Coast Art, Bryan Myles addresses how the European term “art” can be a poor fit for understanding Indigenous people’s cultural expressions. It uses the potlatch, an integral part of Coastal First Nations’ economic and legal system, to explore how Indigenous belongings, often referred to as “art” today, are much more than that term is able to capture. This presentation was part of Session 1 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 1, 2023.

Cultural Appropriation [Video, 6:20 minutes]
Bryan Myles summarizes a resurgence in Northwest Coast art. It also introduces the concept of cultural appropriation and discusses some of the harms that accrue for First Peoples through the erasures and dispossessions that appropriations facilitate. This presentation was part of Session 1 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 1, 2023.

Evaluating Indigenous Arts Resources [Video, 8:58 minutes]
In this video, Sara Florence Davidson shares a list of guiding questions to support educators to evaluate Indigenous arts resources for their own professional development or for potential use with students. This presentation was part of Session 1 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 1, 2023.

Connecting to the BC Curriculum [Video, 8:59 minutes]
Laura D’Amico describes ways in which Indigenous art can be connected to aspects of the B.C. curriculum. Originally trained as mathematics teacher, she highlights how reviewing artists’ reflections can generate cross-curricular connections with Indigenous art, including connections to social studies, English Language Arts, science and even mathematics. This presentation was part of Session 1 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 1, 2023.

Activities to start your learning

We've created a few activities to get you familiar with the information and materials shared in the facilitator videos. These have been structured so you can do as much as you can depending on how much time you have.

Music and dance

If you have just 10 minutes, watch or read some items from the list of short examples of Indigenous Music and Dance that interest you.

If you have 20 minutes more, pick from the two videos below:

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. (2022). Episode 4: Indigenous Music and Song [Video, 14:17 minutes]. Cody Coyote (hip-hop/electronic artist) and Nathan Provost (hand drummer), share and talk about their music. Presented with ASL.
Raven Calling Productions. (2022). Beyond Being Silenced Gyaa Isdlaa [Video, 22:44 minutes]
This short documentary explains the cultural significance of the potlatch ceremony, its history, and the role of art, music and dance in, all within the context of a 2018 potlatch in Hydaburg, Alaska.

If you have a little more time (45 minutes +), explore some Indigenous artists reflections on their work.

Storytelling

If you only have 10 minutes

Please read the article, How does Aboriginal art tell stories and create meaning?

This article introduces the important link between art and stories, drawing on Indigenous art practices in Australia. Like with Indigenous communities in Canada, rights, ownership, and protocols are unique to each community.

If you have 20 minutes more

Watch Stó:lō scholar Q’um Q’um Xiiem’s (Dr. Jo-ann Archibald) videos On Indigenous Stories and Their Framework, and On Including Indigenous Stories.

Finally, if you have a little more time (45 minutes or longer)

Watch the videos linked below and identify at least one thing from each video that is new to you that you are interested in learning how to incorporate into your teaching to bring to the group session. (You can watch just one if you’re short on time.)

The Importance of Storytelling [6:05 minutes]
Main point: “Storytelling contributes to students appreciation and understanding of multiple perspectives”

Storytelling: Understanding Who We Are [6:21 minutes]
Main point: “Stories can help students develop self-confidence and identity… Stories are central to First Nations, Métis and Inuit world views, yet also transcend culture to shed light on universal experience.”

Storytelling: Its Many Forms [5:11 minutes]
Main point: “Storytelling supports students in gaining an appreciation of their individualism in relation to their culture… Engaging through storytelling and its many forms helps students reflect on their own lives.”

Visual and digital arts

If you only have 10 minutes

Read and/or watch about Coast Salish Design Elements, by Shaun Peterson (there is a 5 minute video at the bottom of the page).

Watch the video Coast Salish Design 2.0: 2d Design [05:30 minutes]

If you have 20 minutes more

Pick one of the artists in the Salish Weave Collection, read their bio, browse their artwork and their written comments about it. What do you notice about the Coast Salish Design elements in their art?

You can choose any artist(s) to explore, but for lessLIE, Maynard Johnny Jr., and Dylan Thomas we have recorded conversations (see below) about their work, and you can read their reflections on the pieces mentioned during those conversations.

Finally, if you have a little more time (45 minutes or longer)

Watch the conversations with the three artists mentioned above, or read the transcript. These interviews are wide-ranging ones, covering artistic technique, but also touching on topics like history, poetry and mathematics. Consider how engaging with the art pieces explored might connect with multiple parts of the B.C. Curriculum.

lessLIE [41 minutes]
Maynard Johnny Jr. [01 hour, 21 minutes]
Dylan Thomas [01 hour, 19 minutes]

Session 2: Exploring activity design

Below are videos capturing commentary shared during the original live sessions. They are intended to be viewed in the order listed.

Engaging with Indigenous Arts: Idea Template [Video, 9:20 minutes]
In this video, Sara Florence Davidson shares a template that she developed to support educators to generate ideas for respectful Indigenous arts activities for students. This presentation was part of Session 2 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 8, 2023.

Project Seeds and the Ideas Template [Video, 5:36 minutes]
Laura D’Amico describes the process of generating broad curriculum ideas through exploring examples of Indigenous art and artists’ reflections upon it and expanding upon them with the help of colleagues. She then demonstrates how to use the “Ideas template” provided by the Indigenous Art Practices team to begin turning this idea into an activity. This presentation was part of Session 2 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 8, 2023.

Curriculum Planning and Reflection Template [Video, 4:32 minutes]
Laura D’Amico demonstrates how to use the “Curriculum Planning and Reflection template” provided by the Indigenous Art Practices team to flesh out the planning of an activity that incorporates engagement with Indigenous art and think through its logistics. This presentation was part of Session 2 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on March 8, 2023.

Activities to continue your learning

Try designing an activity using the templates in Activity Planning.
Try out this activity with students and/or family members
Share the activity with a colleague. Refine it based on their feedback.
Extend your own learning by visiting art exhibits and/or exploring more resources on the website.

Session 3: Finding resources

Below are videos capturing commentary shared during the original live sessions. They are intended to be viewed in the order listed.

Critical Indigenous information literacy [Video, 6:21 minutes]
Ashley Edwards answers a question about removing materials from a library collection, and developing an activity or activities that will encourage students to think critically about why that might happen. She provides a definition and explanation of critical information literacy and critical Indigenous information literacy, and talks about critical Indigenous literacy kits developed by colleagues at UBC's Xwi7xwa Library. Critical Indigenous information literacy is important when it comes to representation, the perpetuation of stereotypes and racism, and having these conversations around an item is important in helping readers develop critical thinking skills.

Roadmap for building self-capacity [Video, 3:44 minutes]
Laura D’Amico explains how Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, was designed to build participants' confidence in and capacity to design and implement activities (independently and with colleagues) that respectfully engage students with Indigenous art. The role that particular presentations, materials, templates and practice experiences were meant to play in meeting that goal are outlined. This presentation was part of Session 3 of Indigenous Art Practices: A Professional Development Series, held on April 5, 2023. It is provided here to help those looking at the program’s archival materials consider how they might wish to work through them.

Moving forward along the learning and designing path [Video, 22:28 minutes]
Courtney Vance and Ashley Edwards review what Laura shared during session 2, and how her experiences can be used to begin or further your own learning. They share some of their top resources to suggest when people ask for guidance on learning about Indigenous topics, and why it's important that all people (Indigenous included) engage in this learning. Ashley provides an example of her own learning and research regarding the tv show Dark Winds. Courtney talks about the importance of representation in the classroom and resources, and Ashley shares some strategies on how to find and evaluate resources. The video ends with Courtney talking about their project, Salish Weave Box Sets: Art and Storytelling, and the resources available through the Salish Weave Collection.

Further resources and advice [Video, 16:23 minutes]
Bryan Myles provides a brief introduction to a handful of collaborative media projects that could be used teach Indigenous arts and culture in the classroom. The collaborative projects featured or recommended within are listed below.

Activities to continue your learning

Reflect on using the templates introduced in session 2, and how the activity went.
Take notes and reflect on resources that are particular to your subject area.
Examine some of your resources, and evaluate them based on the questions shared in session 2.
Reflect how that the evaluation went; are there gaps in resources? are there resources you decided to not reuse?

Resources

Click on the rectangles below for further resources to support your learning and activity design.

Facilitation team

Sara Florence Davidson, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education

Sara Florence Davidson (sgaan jaadgu san glans) is a Haida/Settler Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. Previously, she worked as an educator with adolescents in the K-12 system for close to a decade in both British Columbia and Yukon Territory. She has a PhD in Literacy Education, and her research focuses on Indigenous pedagogies, literacies, and stories. With her father, she is the co-author of Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning through Ceremony and the Sk’ad’a Stories, a picture book series which is based on family stories and highlights Indigenous pedagogies and intergenerational learning.

Bryan Myles, Associate Director, Bill Reid Centre

Bryan Myles is a settler scholar from Treaty 4 territory in Southern Saskatchewan. He has a background in sociocultural anthropology and holds an interdisciplinary PhD in new media, and Indigenous cultural heritage on the Northwest Coast. He has thirteen years of experience running the Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Studies (BRC) at SFU, where he works with Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, artists, and scholars, to create access to and facilitate learning about the visual and material belongings of Coastal First Peoples. Bryan has been a lecturer within SFU’s Department of Indigenous Studies for over six years and has a significant amount of experience teaching Introductory courses in Indigenous Studies, as well as courses on Indigenous art and cultural heritage.

Ashley Edwards, Indigenous Initiatives and Instruction Librarian, SFU Library

Ashley Edwards is a Métis, Scottish, and Dutch librarian. Her Métis heritage comes from the Red River settlements of Manitoba, where her ancestors were given scrip in the historic Métis community of St. Francis Xavier; she is a citizen of Métis Nation BC. Ashley has a Library Technician diploma and BA in Adult Education from the University of the Fraser Valley, and a Master in Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta. She has developed the Indigenous Curriculum Resource Centre (ICRC) to support educators who are interested in decolonizing their teaching practices. The library is also finding ways to include orality into the ICRC, in recognition that not all knowledge is found within books, such as the Salish Weave Box Sets: Art and Storytelling project. Through her work and research, Ashley examines decolonizing education, the concept of literature, and Indigenous information literacy.

Laura D'Amico, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Education

Laura is of mixed European heritage and grew up on Ho-Chunk and Menominee territory (Stevens Point and Neenah, Wisconsin). She has nearly 30 years of experience in the development and study of innovative K-12 and post-secondary instruction, including elementary literacy and mathematics, and secondary science. Her Ph.D. is in the Learning Sciences with expertise in classroom assessment, program evaluation, the educational use of technology, and the design of professional development. In recent years, she’s helped craft professional development for educators so they can disrupt colonialism in their teaching and/or incorporate space for Indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing and doing into their classrooms.

Courtney Vance, Graduate Student in Sociology, SFU Library

Courtney Vance is a Northern-Tutchone and German MA student in her second year of study in Sociology at SFU. She completed a joint BA at SFU in Sociology/Gender, Sexuality & Women’s studies. Her research interests include Indigenous art, Indigenous policy, environmental racism, and Indigenous city planning. Courtney’s MA research focuses on learning how Indigenous planning methods can be forwarded in cities founded on colonialism, like “Vancouver”. She currently works as a research assistant through SFU Library’s Indigenous Curriculum Resource Centre on the Salish Weave Box Sets: Art & Storytelling Project, and with her MA supervisor on Indigenous policy related projects.

About the art on this page

The four (4) pieces on this page and in the advertising for this professional development series are used with the permission of the artists, for educational purposes. Other uses require the permission of the artist/copyright holder. More information about the prints and artists can be found on the Salish Weave website.

lessLIE is of Cowichan, Penalakut and Equimalt Nations and of Irish, Italian, and French heritage. He began learning Coast Salish art during his undergraduate degree in First Nations Studies from Malaspina College. He often uses visual punning in his art, as CommuniTIES implies both community and ties. In this piece, lessLIE reflects on “communities and ties within communities and that as being a perpetuation of tradition, that family is really vital to contemporary Coast Salish reality and cultures” (2021). CommuniTIES is included in Salish Weave Box Set III. In Salish Community, lessLIE displays both the traditional and contemporary, through the design of the spindle whorl and four faces representing wholeness and balance and explains one side that values tradition, and another that expresses the contemporary importance of Indigenous issues that divide communities (Salish Weave, 2023). This print is included in Salish Weave Box Set I.

Maynard Johnny Jr. is a Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw self-taught artist, practicing for over thirty years. His piece, Salmon’s Moon is an ode to how his community continues traditions like clam digging and fishing, with the moon being a vital part of knowing when to go clam digging or fishing (Salish Weave, 2023). Salmon's Moon is included in Salish Weave Box Set IV. In Flight, Maynard uses the face of a human in the centre intertwined with the faces of Eagle, Raven, and Owl to display how the spirit world of these animals reflect his community as a people (Salish Weave, 2023). Flight is included in Salish Weave Box Set III.

Series sponsors and contributors