In June 2016, the Indigenous Education Department (IED) offered it’s 7th annual Indigenous Education and Community Collaborations Summer Institute to students of the Secondary Post-Degree Program in the Faculty of Education. In July of 2016, for the 5th time, IED welcomed students pursuing a Bachelor of Education in Language Revitalization. They were joined by other students who also wanted to upgrade their Teacher Qualification Service (TQS).
That summer, all classes were held at the Songhees Wellness Center. Respected Elder of the Songhees Nation and long-time educator and artist, Butch Dick, was one of the four instructors. The theme of this Institute was centered around Coast Salish Art and offered alongside the exhibition Out of the Frame: Salish Printmaking curated by Visual Artist and Anthropologist Andrea Walsh and presented by the University of Victoria’s Legacy Art Gallery Downtown. Butch guided the students in the exploration of the intersections and the relationships between Coast Salish Art, Culture and Education.
The students delved further into the world of Coast Salish Art by viewing Out of the Frame: Salish Printmaking with some of the artists featured in the exhibition, by visiting the contemporary Coast Salish Art display in the Cornett Building on campus, and through experiential learning with Artist in Residence, Chris Paul. All students experienced hands-on learning in Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy by making art. In June, they made drums, then created and painted their own designs on the drums. In July, they learned about printmaking, designed and pulled their own prints. Chris encouraged the students to explore their personal stories and to express them in their design, drawing inspiration from the works in the exhibition.