Teaching Aboriginal Art in the Elementary Classroom
Presentation by: Amanda Fritzlan
Session C | 10:05 – 10:25 | Room 204
Abstract:
I would like to make a presentation of my practice and academic writing regarding teaching Aboriginal art in my grade 7 classroom as a non – Aboriginal person. In 2013, I completed an MEd through the UBC Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy. My research evolved from relationships with members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and my own knowledge of visual art history.
I have examined my practice through different lenses for my MEd theses. The first is the metaphor of walking as pedagogical direction, drawing from the writing of Rebecca Solnit and John Stilgoe. I have also examined my work with the perspective of cultural difference as a gap as articulated by cultural theorist Irit Rogoff. And finally, I have reflected on the importance of narrative in my teaching of Aboriginal visual art. As well as the story-tellers that were part of my teaching community, I was inspired by the work of Thomas King.
Teaching grade 7 for the past 10 years in North Vancouver, I have brought my passion for visual art and my knowledge of art history to my students. In particular, I have included the study of the lives and works of West Coast Aboriginal contemporary artists such as Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptan, Brian Jungen and Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas.
The Museum of Anthropology at UBC has been an amazing resource for my teaching. I have had an article published recently regarding my experiences with students in museum visits, Cultural Acquisitions: A Student-Centered Museum Experience.
I would also love to share the various forms of student Aboriginal art projects that continue to be a part of my teaching practice. These include individual animal paintings, a mural, conceptual art inquiring into the definition of nature and beauty, science drawings, and regular drawing practice of traditional forms used in West Coast Aboriginal art.
