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Capilano University’s campus on the Sunshine Coast is committed to building relationship with local Aboriginal students and with the Shishalh Nation
Capilano University is proud to be a part of the upcoming events hosted by the Aboriginal Storytelling Festival. We are partnering with the Sechelt Indian Band, the Festival of the Written Arts and School District No. 46 to celebrate Aboriginal writers and storytellers from across Canada. On the evening of Thursday, May 2 at the Sechelt Indian Band Hall the public is invited to come out and enjoy some of what the festival has to o er. Included in the presentations will be the culmination of a local project currently underway by three Shíshálh Nation youth: Clarence Joe, Corrina Julius and Robert Higgins. These talented Capilano Alumni are working in collaboration with a team from Capilano University to produce a series of three-minute digital stories about elders of the Shíshálh Nation. These digital stories will document experiences and share reflections about Shíshálh history and culture. Digital stories are brief, meaningful narratives from the heart. These “minimovies” offer a new approach to storytelling using multimedia tools. Made possible through funding from the Vancouver Sun’s Raise-A-Reader program, the funding is distributed by the Sunshine Coast Literacy Coalition to support intergenerational literacy. Capilano University is working to create a learning environment where the cultures, behaviours, languages, values, principles, and modes of organizations of Aboriginal peoples are respected and integrated into the larger system of structures and processes that make up the University. As a part of this ongoing work, Sarah Ward was hired in November of 2012 as the First Nations Student Liaison. Sarah provides support to Aboriginal learners to explore options at Capilano University or beyond. With her passion for working to help people identify their goals and talents, Sarah can help with academic planning, education support, counseling, conflict resolution and resources and options – for example, funding such as band funding, bursaries, grants and scholarships. You can find her on campus in her office in room 118C, or at 604-885- 9310, local 5926.
