Across the District, students are connecting to Indigenous culture in a variety of ways. What follows are some recent examples.
Students at Westridge Elementary created artwork under the guidance of Austin Harry from the Squamish and Namgis Nations. The children learned about Coast Salish design elements while creating their own mini masterpieces.
At Maywood Community School, a Grade 6/7 class spent several weeks crafting meaningful personal land acknowledgements. As part of the process, they explored aspects such as their favourite place, their promise to the land, and their commitment to Reconciliation. The final step was a visual interpretation of their acknowledgement.
Indigenous Leadership students at Burnaby South Secondary worked with artist Trenton (Rain) Pierre of the Katzie First Nation to help create a new art installation for the school. The work blends graffiti techniques with traditional Coast Salish design.
Student voices were at the centre of a District-wide Secondary Indigenous Youth Gathering. It included guidance from local Elders and Knowledge Keepers, community building, gathering students’ feedback, as well as honouring identity through culture and local ways of being. Students shared their thoughts while being grounded in song, stories, weaving, pow wow dancing and smudging teachings.
A Grade 1/2 class at Buckingham Elementary did a floral art project inspired by Métis artist Christi Belcourt.
Posted April 2024