Jan 21, 2019
By Cyndy Chwelos, Bachelor of Recreation Management Coordinator & Instructor
The fall of 2018 provided RECR 2260 students the opportunity to learn – hands on, about the Haida tradition of cedar weaving. Led by knowledge keeper Giihlgiigaa (AKA) Todd Devries, we sat together and learnt about harvesting, prepping and weaving cedar through story and demonstration. In the research I have been engaged in on Indigenizing Curriculum at Langara, I have learnt that storytelling is central to teaching/learning. Todd’s workshop was rooted in storytelling; we learnt about Turtle Island, the impact of being part of the 60’s scoop and how he was given his name Giihlgiigaa- all the while weaving these beautiful bracelets. This 2-hour workshop held impact - the experience stayed with us throughout the 3-month course, operating as a kind of touchpoint. We discussed the rich experience that working alongside an Indigenous cultural keeper can offer in the field of recreation, and compared this format of teaching to a western European artists’ approach, broadening our horizons on the spectrum of approaches to arts & cultural programming with community.
Learn more about cedar weaving: https://ithkilgaa.blogspot.com
