June is Indigenous History Month.
Fifty years ago, Portage College was operating as Alberta Vocational College, and the course offerings for the 1976-1977 school year included the first appearance of a class that would evolve to become one of the best Indigenous Arts programs in Western Canada.
Introduced in that 1976-77 academic year, the Cultural Awareness Through Native Arts and Crafts (CATNAC) was a 20-week program offered at an advanced or basic level each semester.
At that time, the content included performing arts, para-professional archaeology and museology, wilderness skills and traditional clothing design. Two years later, the popularity of the programming led to the addition of hide tanning and oral Cree language classes. A year later, jewelry making was added to the course curriculum.
The program was renamed to Native Cultural Arts in the 1983-84 school year, and a marketing course was added. In 1984, the program was extended to a full, 40-week program, with comprehensive courses in Cree, Metis history and Native Studies added as electives. In 1987 the program was divided into separate pathways for Native Artisan and Native Arts Worker.
In the 1993 student newsletter for the Native Cultural Arts Program – commemorating the International Year of Indigenous People – it was noted that despite the expansion and revision of the programming over the years, the constant of the teaching will always be “the commitment to quality education, the dedication to keeping cultural traditions alive, and the perseverance of students and staff alike.”
In a recent interview about his experiences in the current Indigenous Arts Certificate Program, Portage College student Trevor White said the course allowed him to find many connections to his Metis culture, and even his own family’s connections to Portage College.
“The program was a reconnection to myself and my environment and my Metis culture … a lot of teachings of our old ways. It reconnected me to my family and to my grassroots,” he said. “I actually found out that my grandma taught in this course about 30 years ago – so it was really neat to reconnect with that too.”
Continuing the original intentions of the programming decades ago, White said the Indigenous Arts courses combine academics with culture and history, providing a well-rounded personal experience.
“I learned a lot more than I expected. I was trying to gain a certificate, but I gained so much more than that,” he said.
The Indigenous Arts Certificate and Diploma programs continue to be one of Portage College’s leading student selections. For more information about the program, visit the Portage College website.