Sharing culture in a welcoming space through carving and artwork was the result of an incredible year-long journey for a group of teachers and students at South Delta Secondary.
Since January 2020, 23 students have been working under the teaching and guidance of Master Carver and local Indigenous artist Jody Wilson with support from teachers Jennifer Thoss, Kimberley Hlina, and Katrina Branden.
“I’ve worked with Jody before at a different school with a very successful outcome,” said Thoss. “In my classroom I have several Indigenous students who are quite connected to their home cultures. They are artsy kind of kids and having trouble getting engaged, so I thought I would try and fire up the project here.”
Thoss said there was great support from the school, the school PAC and other funding, which enabled to project to get off the ground.
The project was in two parts, with Wilson first introduced to the students in February 2020. Beginning pre-COVID, students learned design elements and began individual pieces. This was interrupted, however, by the pandemic and resumed in November 2020 so that students could finish their first carvings - traditionally given as gifts - before winter break.
Sensing the on-going interest of students, Wilson proposed a collaborative carving, which would then be a legacy piece displayed at the school.
Beginning in April, students reconnected and began working with Wilson on the collaborative piece. During the next three months, students met twice a week in the woodshop or outside, planning, carving, and painting the three-foot round yellow cedar.
“The best things about it has been student engagement,” said Thoss. “At the centre of this project are the students, who stayed hours after scheduled classes to work on the carving. This time allowed Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to share their backgrounds and varied life experiences, bringing people together, sharing stories in a very safe environment and of course, the actual skill of carving has been amazing to see these students and their work.”
Last Thursday, June 17 was a day of celebration and acknowledgement at SDSS as the students unveiled their final carving called, “Our Visionary (the Eagle) Our Home (the Sun).”
The ceremony, held under COVID-19 restrictions at the school library, began with a blessing and acknowledgment of place from Musqueam Elder Rose Guerin of the Delta School District, who also spoke about the 215 children whose remains were found at the site of the former Kamloops Residential School.
As Wilson explained to the group, while the carving is open to interpretation, the Sun represents our home, and the Eagle, catching a salmon from Salish Sea, is our visionary guide; the Gulf Islands are also depicted, giving a sense of place.
“This has been a very difficult and challenging year, and with so much dividing us, this project brought us together, which is what we need and what matters most: a sense of place, connection, and community,” noted SDSS principal Terry Ainge.
