What: A musical arts experience
Who: The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and École Glenmore
When: Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m.
Where: Evangel Church, 3261 Gordon Dr., Kelowna
Tickets: Prices range from $15 (adult) $10 (senior) to $8 (children)
Canada’s 150-anniversary celebration has already begun with a large-scale collaboration between UBC researchers, École Glenmore students, and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra (OSO).
Margaret Macintyre Latta is a professor in UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Education.
Thursday, students from École Glenmore School and the OSO will perform a rendition of Rhonda Draper’s award-winning production How Canada Came to be—A Story of You and Me. It’s part of a three-year federally-funded research project aimed at inciting creative and critical thinking in students.
Primary investigator and UBC Okanagan Faculty of Education professor Margaret Macintyre Latta hopes the art experience will increase awareness of Indigenous histories from all over the world in order to develop a greater understanding of what it means to be Canadian.
“This project will allow everyone to learn from one another,” says Macintyre Latta, “enlarging and deepening our understanding of Canadian history. UBC is proud to be partnering with École Glenmore School and the OSO.”
The students will perform folk songs that guide the audience through Canada’s unique histories.
“The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to partner with École Glenmore Elementary and UBC Okanagan to present How Canada Came to Be, ” says Rosemary Thomson, Musical Director for Okanagan Symphony Orchestra. “This award-winning show creates an extraordinary opportunity for elementary school students to partner in a large scale arts experience with the professional musicians of the OSO. What a magical way to celebrate Canada’s Sesquicentennial.”
To find out more information about the event or to register, visit: okanagansymphony.com/product/how-canada-came-to-be-tickets
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It was good in terms of education through arts. the lens was very Eurocentric though which doesn’t really facilitate Truth and Reconciliation forward movement that Canada sets out in it’s goals on the political and educational front. It is still teaching students a very Canadian embedded narrative, which continues stories of division. I think that the point in terms of how “Canada” came to be was reached successfully through the eyes of the explorers and the residents of Canada now. But, many people do not have that stance and/or choose not to have that stance so it is excluding when we need to be moving toward inclusivity. The point I think is missing is that, Aboriginal people of Canada are not here to become part of the Nation of Canada and lucky for it, rather Canadians are here to be a part of the land and nations here. It’s like the bullies on the school yard that act like the bullied are lucky they are including them in their part of the field. It’s still an abusive relationship with undertones of epistemic racism/racism of sameness. When they wrongfully call the Okanagan welcome song the national anthem of the Syilx people and then end the performance saying and here’s YOUR National Anthem, it really overtakes and amplifies the dominance of the Nation of Canada. It was cute, artistic, and historically based. But really missed the mark on what we need to be teaching the kids now.
What is important to emphasize is that the curricular conversation has only been initiated—tentatively for sure. But, fostering the efforts of educators and students to enter into re-storying understandings of Canadian history entails much learning and re-learning for all of us. The project as a whole has provided opportunities to do so and the critical and creative thinking that has been generated will be pursued over the next few years. Continuing to converse and extending the conversation is key, in order to enlarge and deepen the conversation already underway with École Glenmore Elementary students and educators.
Margaret Macintyre Latta
Karen Ragoonaden
Kelly Hanson
Rosemary Thomson
Rhonda Draper