|
|
November 13, 2009
Artist in residence connects
KDHS students learn from a Musqueam weaver, Debra Sparrow.
OLGA LIVSHIN
King David High School began its Artist in Residence program in September of this year. The school's visual arts teacher, Wendy Oberlander, remembered: "I had the idea three or four years ago – to bring the Musqueam and the Jewish traditions together. As the school is built on Musqueam ancestral land, I thought it would be important to start a conversation about the ways our communities connect, and the ways they diverge."
Eager to offer her students a unique learning experience, an opportunity to experiment, as well as exposure to new people and art forms, Oberlander invited Debra Sparrow to be the school's first artist in residence.
An internationally acclaimed artist and weaver, Sparrow belongs to the Musqueam people of the Coast Salish nation. As a symbol of her native land, Sparrow's woven tapestries welcome the arriving travelers at Vancouver International Airport. Her woven blankets adorn many collections, including the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology. Her latest accomplishment is a tribute to her people's artistic imagination: in collaboration with Nike designer Stuart Iwasaki, she created the graphic design for Team Canada's 2010 Olympic hockey jerseys.
Despite her celebrity status, she was easy-going and funny in the KDHS arts classroom when the Independent visited. She joked and encouraged the students, while her clever fingers danced with the warps and wefts of her weaving. She weaved like she spoke – with a smile. When one of the girls complained that she wasn't good with her hands, Sparrow urged her on: "You're never good at anything until you try. I didn't know how to weave until I was in my 30s. Look at me now. Come on, try it." Together, they were quite successful at weaving a Star of David on a small classroom loom. They used Musqueam technique and woolen threads Sparrow herself spun and dyed.
From a young age, Sparrow wanted to learn about her people, their history and traditions. "I wanted to feel the connections to my ancestors, but not much was available," she said with regret. Without written history, forced to assimilate, the Musqueam people have lost much of their culture.
"When I went to school, native students were pushed to the side," she recalled. "I didn't like school, dropped out after Grade 8." She worked odd jobs, made jewelry for eight years, but she longed to explore her cultural origins. "Assimilation tears a nation apart," she said. "It tears a person apart. I needed to know who I was." That longing drove her to weaving.
The Musqueam did not consider woven blankets to be art – these blankets were items of everyday life, reflecting individual family triumphs and tragedies. About 20 years ago, when Sparrow and her sister decided to revive the art of Musqueam weaving, they discovered an historical vacuum: no one had done any weaving for more than 80 years. The craft had been lost. From one old blanket passed down in the family for generations, plus memories of their 85-year-old grandfather and some rare samples displayed in museums, they taught themselves how to weave. The book Salish Weaving, by Paula Gustafson, also helped.
"I felt it was my responsibility to teach myself first, and then to teach others," Sparrow explained. "I needed to give this gift to my people. I heard a calling and I answered it.... We needed to reclaim our tradition, to discover our roots."
Now, Sparrow is teaching Musqueam culture and history to fourth grade children, as part of the Museum of Anthropology's program Musqueam Museum School. When a chance to participate in the KDHS Artist in Residence program came her way, she was glad. She sees a similarity between Jews and First Nations. Both live among bigger nations. Both cling to national integrity, resisting assimilation with a measure of success. And like many Jewish artists, she feels her nation's backing. "My entire tribe is behind me," she said proudly.
Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She is available for contract work. Contact her at olgagodim@gmail.com.
^TOP
|
|
