Last Wednesday, I was invited by Susan Clements-Vivianto be guest speaker at SFU for the course IAT 208 Introduction to Drawing in SIAT. The course is “an overview of the various forms and languages of drawing as both a critical and creative research tool.”
I did two follow-me exercises: 3-D eyes (using charcoal), human face (china marker).
The entire class was recorded and Susan gave me permission to share the raw footage here! To follow along, you will need some paper, charcoal, a sharp edged eraser, a crayon and a china marker. Enjoy!
I have so much I could write about the two days. But for now I will list just a sample of words I scratched furiously into my SKiP sketchbook…
Radical imaginations, weaving process, verbal to visual, resist, politics of care, intersectional framework, history can be a weapon/tool, mutate change, visible thinking, metaphorical typography, critical creativity, Gutenberg Parenthesis, porous pedestrian, kennings, serendipidoodle, fringed oddity,spurned desire, Sanburgian synthesis, scheduled creativity, the way out of the box is the shackles, pareidolia, storytelling ethics, mark making…
I am so excited to build on the connections made at the symposium.
Some photo highlights from my two days:
A huge thank you to Jason Toal and the entire team for including me!
“Justice, identity and belonging are central indicators of health and well-being. Founded on the ideal of a pluralistic society, Canada faces significant equity challenges in upholding the health and well-being of a diverse range of social groups.
This is particularly true for First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, who face disproportionate challenges within Canada’s education, health, economic, environmental and justice systems. These institutional pillars tragically have failed to serve the Indigenous Peoples of this land, for by holding up the State, the strength of these institutional pillars has weakened the cultural and relational roots of ancient worldviews, wisdoms and traditional societies.
Through ceremony, public lectures and dialogue, this President’s Dream Colloquium will cultivate an ecology for “a new way forward.” The intention is to create a rich experience of knowledge mobilization, diverse community engagement and capacity building for a new vision. The colloquium is born out of our right to dream for the rights of future generations, and for us to reimagine and enact a new reality for them.
Confirmed Speakers
Chief Robert Joseph, OBC, Hereditary Chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation, Ambassador for Reconciliation Canada, and Special Advisor to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Chief Robert Joseph will be delivering the opening address on Thursday September 8, 2016, 3:30–5:30 pm. Please reserve your seats online.
Wab Kinew, MLA for Fort Rouge in Manitoba, author, musician, broadcaster, Aboriginal leader. Thursday, September 29, 7–9 pm in downtown Vancouver.Reservations will open soon.
Rupert Ross, QC, retired assistant Crown Attorney for the District of Kenora, Ontario, author, recipient of a National Prosecution Award for Humanitarianism. Thursday November 3, 2016, 3:30–5:30 pm. Please reserve your seats online.
John Borrows, PhD, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Law; Nexen Chair in Indigenous Leadership, University of Victoria. Thursday November 17, 2016, 3:30–5:30 pm. Please reserve your seats online.
Wade Davis, PhD, Professor of Anthropology and the BC Leadership Chair in Cultures and Ecosystems at Risk at the University of British Columbia. Thursday, November 24, 2016, 3:30–5:30 pm. Please reserve your seats online.
Check out Vancouver Sun:
Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, O.B.C. is a hereditary chief of the Gwawaenuk First Nation near Alert Bay and a co-founder of Reconciliation Canada.HANDOUT/ PNG
“As a young man, Robert Joseph, one of the hereditary chiefs of the Gwawaenuk First Nation near Alert Bay, found himself in the depths of despair — until an epiphany changed his life. Today, he is a noted First Nations leader who co-founded Reconciliation Canada…” Read more: VANCOUVER SUN
On March 30, 2016, I took the Criminology 315 (CRIM 315) students at the Simon Fraser University Burnaby Campus (teacher: Associate Professor and director of the Center for Restorative Justice, Brenda Morrison) through an in depths mind mapping process as they reflected on their understanding and learning during the course.
CRIM 315 is designed to contrast restorative justice with the dominant adversarial/retributive/punitive model of justice through a critical analysis of these two paradigms of justice. Several key principles, assumptions, and concepts necessary for understanding the foundation and practice of restorative justice are explored during the course.
This particular group of students has been focusing on restorative justice within the educational setting (from theory to practice to social echo). My role as guest teacher was to engage the students creatively and to discuss my restorative art-based practices with at-risk youth, young offenders and fragile populations.
I was delighted to have my former student, now colleague, Miko Philip participate as co-facilitator during my session. I shared my own restorative practices and successes within the secondary school setting through the lens of Miko’s personal experiences. Miko spoke openly about her time Keith Lynn Alternative Secondary School, her personal struggles, her transformative experience in the summer of 2015 in the Inside Out Project at Mountainside Secondary, and her current powerful and life-changing studies at Rhodes Wellness College.
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But before we began the mind mapping segment (outside in the sun), Brenda discussed delicious items for the students to keep in mind:
• Pedagogy– how do you achieve educational outcome?
• Spiral of Inquiry: Scanning, Focusing, Developing a Hunch, Learning, Taking Action, Checking.
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Capturing dialogue and participant voices is such a treat and I love how the whole brain is engaged by the group. Students can see the process unfold and gain new insights and perspectives as a result.
At the beginning and part way through the afternoon, I utilized a couple of my favorite Lynda Barry exercises to cleanse our brains!
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To really start the process, Miko asked the students the big question: What is Restorative Justice? Not so easy to answer it turns out!
We started with one word reflection per participant, then the students broke off into groups to create a sentence answer.
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RESULTS:
What is Restorative Justice?
An opportunity to grow as a person when you have done something wrong in a way that is rehabilitative rather than punitive.
A value based philosophical framework guiding a rehabilitation process.
An inclusive approach to learning that emphasizes passion, respect, empathy, positivity, and acceptance in a safe and productive environment.
A values based approach to building community by empowering stakeholders.
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We then discussed what identity and belonging means to each participant to enrich the exploration:
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SOME RESULTS:
Relationship based, learning from each other, growth, supportive community, different way of learning, listening skills, equal opportunity to talk, accepted and not judged, having a place, empowerment, voice, equality, spend time in a place despite being uncomfortable, inclusivity, understanding (less about knowing), safety, community (actions affect others), non judgmental, ontological security, transparency.
Groups then shared their reflections on the mind map on social echo:
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SOME RESULTS:
The effects of stereotypes and perceptions; igniting your inner passion to make a change; being an agent of change; individual and collective; whatever you take from it; expanding knowledge; being a voice through which knowledge can be carried to a broader audience.…
We ended with a circle reflection!
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Huge thank you to Miko Philip for being so open and enriching our day so much. And thank you to Brenda Morrison, Cristina Serverius and the students who participated to willingly!
Today I worked with a group of Operation Sock Monkey craftivists to create hummingbirds for a very special cause. Over 5 hours, we created 40 little hummingbirds for the Liz Elliot Memorial Ceremony and Potlatch happening on September 11, 2015 at the SFU Centre for Restorative Justice.
SFU criminologist Liz Elliott, who was a champion of restorative justice, is honored during the raising of a totem totem created by inmates at Ferndale Correctional Institution in Mission. It now stands in the School of Criminology. – source
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The hummingbirds created today are gifts for the special ceremony in September.
Huge thank you to Laura and Spruce Harbour Marina for hosting and to my sweet craftivists: Lenore, Lynn, William, Brenda, Laura!
The lovely egg above was a gift from Brenda- made by “lifer” at Ferndale Institute. It features a hummingbird with the word “spirit.”
In October 2014, Brenda gave me a beautiful book from another SFU class: The Flight of the Hummingbird. The theme of the book is the power of taking small steps to achieve a big goal:
Brenda and about 20-25 students spend three hours with me, listening to my background and my take on Restorative Justice in art therapy, discussing, sharing and drawing. This year (oct 27, 2010) I had the pleasure of bringing two students from my secondary school with me. The results/feedback afterwards is always so uplifting as we debrief on the experience. Art brings you out of yourself, and it brings a group of people together.
Brenda and I at the Centre for RJ in front of the "Guernica" study by my student, Stephanie.My students Shiva and Hannah
