Category Archives: Arts

Folk U: Desolation Sound #5

The Cortes Island Academy (CIA) on Folk U Radio

What really matters most in the world? How will we help inspire the next generation of truth-seekers and truth-tellers? At the Cortes Island Academy we believe in the passion and skills of the people and wild places of this place and are proud of our youth who learned along side our community and shared their growing skills through journalistic podcasts, Elder Documentaries, Field Guides and unsung hero posters.

Continue reading Folk U: Desolation Sound #5

What Moon Dance Productions wants for Cortes Island

Cortes Island has a new volunteer production company. According to their recent press release, Moon Dance Productions will pay travelling expenses, accommodation etc for bands coming to Cortes Island. They have already booked the Awakeneers for an Earth Day Contra Dance in Mansons Hall on Saturday, April 13th. A dance troupe will be coming on Tuesday, April 16th, and Elise LeBlanc with Sahara Jane on Saturday, April 27th.

Continue reading What Moon Dance Productions wants for Cortes Island

The Cortes Island Academy looks ahead to 2024/25 & back at the past year

The Cortes Island Academy’s school year is over. Graduation was on January 25. Executive Director, Manda Aufochs Gillespie, just gave Cortes Currents an overview of the 2023/24 semester and a peek into the year that is just about to begin.

“This school year (Sep 2023-Jan 2024), the Cortes Island Academy was a lot of fun.  We learned a lot from our first year. So this year we really got to just revel in the model, the awesome kids and local knowledge holders that came out to make this year happen. It felt to me like a lot more fun, and a lot less trailblazing,” she began. 

Continue reading The Cortes Island Academy looks ahead to 2024/25 & back at the past year

Tangible bones store intangible culture, memories and stories

Editor’s Opinion: Europe‘s written genealogies go back hundreds of years and we have traditions that appear to have risen out of events that took place thousands of years ago, yet many Canadian families appear to be divorced from their roots. They do not know who their ancestors were, how they lived and have only vague ideas (like ‘England,’ ‘Germany’ or Ireland etc) of where they came from. Traditions that were revered by generations past have long been dismissed as myths and fairy tales. Some Cortes families have a ‘sense of place’ that goes back for a few generations and many more have adopted this ‘magic island.’ Yet collectively, the question remains: how can a people who appear to have lost a sense of their own heritage, value the cultural depth of others?

By Sheri Narine, Windspeaker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Until federal politicians start “valuing people in their own homes”, intangible cultural heritage will remain misunderstood and underappreciated, said Agnieszka Pawlowska-Mainville, author of Stored in the Bones.

“They always assume that intangible cultural heritage has something to do with materials, museums, archives, when really sometimes it just means valuing people in their own homes. Like a grandmother teaching her grandson or granddaughter how to cook, a father using his own hands with his own niece, nephew to do some kind of carving or some kind of sewing. It’s that element that I think (there’s) a lot of misunderstanding about,” said Pawlowska-Mainville, an associate professor in First Nations Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia.

Continue reading Tangible bones store intangible culture, memories and stories

Museum Hosts Valentine’s Day Event: Love Letters

The Cortes Museum and Archives is collaborating with Folk U to offer two events in honour of Valentine’s Day, on the theme of Love Letters. On February 11th (Sunday) from 1-4pm, Jane Newman will host a “love letter writing workshop” featuring both writing and collage art. On February 14th from 7 to 8:30pm, Oriane Lee will host an evening of love letter readings, including some from the Museum archives. Both events are free, though donations are always welcome. People interested in participating in the readings on the 14th should contact jemma@folku.ca.

Roy Hales interviewed Melanie Boyle (the Museum’s Director) and Jemma Hicken (the event organiser) about their collaboration to offer the community a new Valentine’s Day event.

Continue reading Museum Hosts Valentine’s Day Event: Love Letters