Art as Cultural Practice: Voices of Kainai Nation Educators on Students’ School Engagement and Wellness following a Community-led Art Workshop
Date
2018-09-14
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Abstract
This thesis examines the role of an art workshop in releasing Indigenous youth’s creativity and connecting them to school in a culturally appropriate way. My research questions consider how cultural and artistic engagement address student wellness and educational engagement in order to consider how pedagogy and curriculum can be adapted to better serve Blackfoot students. Following research conversations with school personnel, Storywork analysis was used to explore the importance of art-as-therapy, self-representation, art as a voice, traditional examples of art in culture, and contemporary Indigenous art politics. This study found that art connected youth to their culture, their peers and their school. Art was also described as a method for rediscovering voice, empowering students, and developing a positive identity. The findings are intended to support schools’ capacities to respond to Indigenous student wellness and educational needs. Findings will support a larger initiative that seeks to articulate a framework that other Indigenous communities and schools may draw upon.
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Indigenous youth, Blackfoot Students, Art Workshop, School Engagement, Wellness, Cultural Engagement, Art-as-therapy, Empowerment
Citation
Van Bavel, M. S. (2018). Art as Cultural Practice: Voices of Kainai Nation Educators on Students’ School Engagement and Wellness following a Community-led Art Workshop (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/33141