History in Motion: Salish Weaving Knowledge Sharing Session
The Art of History and Patience - A hands-on experience that teaches the technical skill of Salish weaving, instilling the value of patience while exploring its deep cultural significance.
A workshop developed in 2007 by Spelex̱i̓lh - Sḵwx̱wu̓7mesh U̓xwumixw member, Anjeanette Dawson. Spelex̱i̓lh is one of ten women from the Squamish community to revive the lost art/practice in 2004. She has blankets hanging at the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler and Simon Fraser University, and she wove a fur-collared shawl that was used in the Opening Ceremonies during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Anjeanette has facilitated and taught hundreds of people how to make a wool-woven quarter bag (as shown in images) in the K5-Grade 12 education system, libraries, community centres, colleges, and post-secondary institutions.
Participants will:
Practice weaving techniques and structure: twining methods, tension control, and creating a decoration-sized bag.
Discuss natural fibres and preparation: plant and animal fibres; tools involved in the process of creating wool and weaving ceremonial blankets today.
Art revitalization: the role of weaving in community and ceremony in the past and present, and stories of the revitalization of the art practice.
Please note: Knowledge sharing session requires 2.5 hours
North Vancouver Museum and Archives #953 (1948)
Ancestral Voices: Sḵwx̱wu̓7mesh Language & Cultural Introduction Knowledge Sharing Session
British Columbia is a vibrant land rich with diverse Indigenous languages, each a profound connection to their cultural origins and ancestral territories. This program offers an insightful journey into the history and ongoing revitalization efforts of these vital traditional languages, with a special focus on Sḵwx̱wu̓7mesh Sníchim, the Squamish language.
Participants will:
Explore and discuss Indigenous languages and the importance of place.
Learn basic Sḵwx̱wu̓7mesh greetings and conversational phrases.
Understand current language revitalization initiatives and their impact.
Connect language learning to cultural identity and traditional knowledge systems.
Please note: Knowledge sharing session requires 1.5 hour