Impressions and Experiences of Blackfoot Artists Involved in a Community-Led Art Intervention for Student Wellness and Educational Engagement
Date
2018-09-14
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Abstract
Since the initiation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, there has been increasing demand for culturally-rooted interventions to support the wellness of Indigenous youth. The context of colonialism in Canada has serious implications for the wellbeing of Indigenous people. To address the source of illness, this study used a decolonizing, community-based approach in both the implementation of an intervention and the study of that intervention. An Indigenous approach was considered throughout the research process to support the centring of Indigenous voices in research. In the present study, the purpose was to gain an understanding of Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) artists’ experiences and impressions of an art workshop/intervention as it related to student wellness and educational engagement. For this purpose, an Indigenous storywork method was used to analyze research conversations with Niitsitapi artists who took part in facilitating the art workshop. The findings of this study have practical implications for the integration of art in a pedagogical framework to improve student wellness and educational engagement.
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Storywork, Indigenous, Community-based research, Art Intervention, Anti-oppression pedagogy, Decolonization, Culturally-rooted intervention, Indigenous youth, Wellness, Educational engagement, Blackfoot, Niitsitapi Artists
Citation
St. Pierre, S. M. (2018). Impressions and Experiences of Blackfoot Artists Involved in a Community-Led Art Intervention for Student Wellness and Educational Engagement (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/33137