This week is Truth & Reconciliation week at Capilano University—a time to reflect on how we can support First Nations on our campus and across our country (Capilano University is named after Chief Joe Capilano, an important leader of the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh) Nation of the Coast Salish people.) So it’s a perfect time to share the Indigenous focussed project I run with second-years in the Spring term. This year I took them on a field trip to the Royal BC Museum in Victoria.

We didn't go for the woolly mammoth—although he's still spectacular. We went to get inspiration for our indigenizing IDEA project. The brief helps our students understand the complexities and opportunities that come with First Nations reconciliation in Canada. As in past years, we partnered with students and faculty from CapU’s Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking program (IIDF).

In exchange for all the insight IIDF shared with us over the course of this project, IDEA students provided graphic design advice on their promo packages for the movies they create as part of their filmmaking studies. Our students loved this process as it gave them an opportunity to see how much they’ve learned in two years and how valuable this new knowledge is to other.

This is the third year of running this project and I was honoured to be invited to speak about it at the Vancouver RGD DesignThinkers conference in May. I am so proud of the work our students have created. You can see some project highlights in the video below.

We respectfully acknowledge that Capilano University’s campuses are located on the territories of the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Sechelt (shíshálh), Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.