Recommendation #3: Understanding ourselves through art
Identity & Art
Storytelling, oral histories and artistic expression can play a significant role in understanding one’s origin and culture. In Indigenous culture, sometimes stories are told with symbolism so that abstract concepts or important events can be more easily understood or remembered. The importance of understanding one’s identity as a part of the learning process is one of the FPPL, and it is tied to the perspective that understanding who you are helps you understand your connection to others, to your culture, to the environment and to your actions (Alberta Education, 2009).
The process of creating art is very much a reflective and reflexive process. In many ways, artistic expression is innately tied to one’s identity and experience. Indigenous art is no different, which allows many of the FPPLs to fit naturally here.
Example: Creating Animal Art
In many cultures, Indigenous or otherwise, animals are used to represent or describe different traits that people may have. The relationship that First Peoples have with animals is both practical and spiritual, thus animals can be seen in a variety of their artistic expressions. The totem pole, for example, is one way that some coastal Indigenous communities told stories of their family history. More detail on totem poles can be found in Stories the Totems Tell: Bringing Aboriginal Poles to Life.
Activity:
Start with the exploration of a variety of Indigenous art pieces.
Examples:
- Indigenous Arts and Stories (some pieces can be seen in the image slider)
- Indigenous Arts in the city of Surrey, BC
- I am Raven
Class discussion:
- What message and/or emotion the artists are trying to convey?
- What was the artist’s process of creation?
- What do the animals symbolize?
- What is the value of art?
Create a piece of art using an animal that best represents who you are. Write a description that explains how the image is a reflection of you. Here are some resources on animal symbology:
Technology integration suggestions:
- Sketchbook or Sketchpad for creating
- Sutori, padlet or Flipgrid for sharing
First People’s Principles of Learning Evident in this Activity:
- Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors
- Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place)
- Learning recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge
- Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story
- Learning requires exploration of one’s identity
Possible Connections to Curricular Competencies in the BC Curriculum:
Art 9
- Reflect on works of art and creative processes to make connections to personal learning and experiences
- Take creative risks to experience and express thoughts, emotions, and meaning
- Demonstrate respect for themselves, others, and the audience
- Collaborate through reciprocal relationships during the creative process
- Create personally meaningful artistic works that demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of social, cultural, environmental, and historical contexts
- Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of personal, social, cultural, historical, and environmental contexts in relation to the arts (also K-8)
- Explore relationships between identity, place, culture, society, and belonging through artistic experiences (also K-8)