This local high school takes deep dive into Indigenous art

Teachers from all around the Central Okanagan gathered at Mount Boucherie Secondary School (MBSS) in West Kelowna to be introduced to a unique type of class.

The course is the 20-year pet project of art teacher Jim Elwood, that has recently made waves across the province.

His Indigenous Art course has been officially recognized as a credit that can be used towards the provincial Indigenous graduation requirements.

“The general art courses [currently available] include Indigenous at different times and as best as we can. But this one focuses on it exclusively,” Elwood told Kelowna10. “I think it should be a ministry course, I think every school should have this course in the province.”

At an end of term presentation and art show, on Jan. 16, Elwood and students of his class, spoke about the course and the benefits of learning about Indigenous culture through an artistic lens.

For some students, it was a way to connect with a heritage they never got a chance to learn about.

“I’m Cree-Métis. I didn’t learn about it, I wasn’t taught anything,” MBSS student Faith Johnson-Jourdain said. “But this is a way that I can connect with myself in a way that I haven’t before.”

With a newfound understanding of her Indigenous heritage, Johnson-Jourdain was able to start conversations with her parents and extended family members to deepen her knowledge of her ancestry.

In addition to a set curriculum, Elwood caters the courses’ teachings to fit the needs of each specific class, exploring different cultures and styles each term. The students are empowered to create based on what they learn and feel most connected to.

Another of Elwood’s students, Maya Mae Johnson-Mah, noted that a course like this needs to be handled by someone as passionate as her teacher.

“This course means so much more than just an Indigenous credit. It speaks to so many different people,” she said. “I think the schools really need to understand that this is not just a course that can be done by a teacher that does not care. This course requires so much care and dedication not only to the art itself, but also, the students.”