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Indigenous Youth Exploring Issues through VIU Art-Based Literacy Project
Indigenous Youth Exploring Issues Through VIU Art-Based Literary Project
A team of VIU community-engaged researchers worked with Indigenous youth on a project that is empowering them to explore important issues and share knowledge with the wider community through an artistic work. The youth are students at Tsawalk Learning Centre, a community-based learning program for students in Grades 8-12 that has Indigenous ways of knowing and learning integrated into the curriculum. The aim of the project is to use art as a conduit for self-care, relationship building, language learning and as an avenue to communicate with the public. It is part of the work Dr. Amanda Wager, VIU’s Canada Research Chair in Community-Engaged Research, is exploring with the team at her research centre called arc: A Centre for Art, Research and Community. “Art is like a catalyst. It’s a way to transfer information and is an accessible way for people to get information and build relationships,” says Wager. “It’s important that we know what the young people in our city want to explore. I want community members to listen to our young people. They have so much insight into things we would never think of.”
The youth focused on digital art as the artists were teaching remotely and showing the youth how to use video editing, animation and a digital design app on an iPad. The youth choose a medium and research topic that is meaningful to them and create a digital art piece that conveys that subject to the public. The late Elder Sally Williams and current Elders-in-Training, Quuia (Greg) Charleson and Bex Manson led weekly sessions with a sharing circle. As well, they have supported the youth by helping them in choosing words and phrases to add to their projects from the local languages of Hul’q’umin’um’, Nuu-chah-nulth and Kwak’wala. Becky Thiessen, the arc Research Centre Coordinator, says the community-engaged research Wager’s team conducted with the Tsawalk Learning Centre is about having open discussions and building relationships and trust among everyone. “The youth are learning integral skills and practical methods to visually express the concern they have for themselves, each other and their greater community,” says Thiessen. “This work teaches them that their voice is valid and it should be heard. I believe that learning to think critically, creatively and developing one’s imagination are essential skills when figuring out life’s challenges. I hope the youth continue to thrive in their questioning and creativity.” The project was funded by a $20,000 Convene Grant from the Vancouver Foundation and a $10,000 ArtStarts Grant.
Becky Thiessen
VIU arc Research Centre Coordinator
