Dear Faculty of Arts,

We are reflecting with sadness on the sudden passing of Lee Maracle this week and also feeling immense gratitude for her brief time at KPU, where she shared her insight, energy, storytelling, and laughter with many of us, including her KPU students. Lee was a remarkable voice for Indigenous resurgence, and an Elder of the Stó:lō First Nation with extraordinary dynamism, humour, and wisdom.  She was a path-breaking voice for Indigenous women, writers, and Indigenous advocacy in general through her poetry, fiction, essays, oratory, and tireless and giving spirit. We were honoured to have her teaching in Indigenous Studies this fall. 

West Wind – by Lee Maracle 

West wind’s grass dance 

Issues forth promise 

Not dulled by repetition 

East wind pulls up belief 

Re-searches the world of grass 

Nurtures winded promise 

Grass blades succumb to north wind’s song 

Trees surrender to being buffeted by cold 

Stilled by winter’s sleep 

South wind exalts 

Pulls water in small miracles 

From the edge of dreaming rivers 

In this ceremony 

Of wind song and dance 

New life is born 

Maracle, Lee. “West Wind.” Manoa, vol. 25, no. 1, University of Hawai’i Press, 2013, pp. 16–17, http://www.jstor.org/stable/42004478. 

UPCOMING EVENTS & INITIATIVES 

Public Reading: The Creative Writing department hosts 2020 Governor-General-Award nominee Amanda Leduc on Monday, November 15th at 3 PM via zoom. All welcome! Please email anne.lin@kpu.ca for the Zoom link. Amanda Leduc is the author of the non-fiction book Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space, which was shortlisted for the 2020 Governor General’s Award and the 2020 Barbellion Prize. She also authored the novel The Miracles of Ordinary Men. Her latest novel, The Centaur’s Wife, is out now with Random House Canada. She has cerebral palsy and lives in Hamilton, Ontario, where she serves as the Communications and Development Coordinator for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD), Canada’s first festival for diverse authors and stories. 

Teacher Education Forum: The Teacher Education Forum is being held virtually again this year, on Tuesday, November 23rd from 1-3 PM.  We’ll be hearing from the programs at SFU, UBC, UVic, and VIU.  Registration is online at www.kpu.ca/education-forum and everyone who registers will get the MS Teams link to the event.  There are so many our students who are looking to become elementary or secondary school teachers, so please spread the word far and wide: there is no seat limit! 

Join the Network:  A new network to support research, scholarship and creativity has formed in the Faculty of Arts and we already have more than 40 members! The Network aims to support faculty, students and staff who are engaged in (or wish to become engaged in) research, scholarship, and creativity by providing a clearinghouse of resources, fostering a shared sense of collegiality; promoting collaborations and encouraging synergies; stimulating innovative thinking; and raising awareness about the ways that research, scholarship, and creativity contribute to educational excellence. The Network, which is housed on Moodle and will be going “live” in the next few days, is integrated with Pebble Pad. To join simply follow the instructions in the attached PDF and use the PebblePad link (included in the instructions) to create your Network profile. If you know of students who might want to participate, please feel free to invite them to join the Network or contact student research assistant Paul.Fader@kpu.ca for more information. 

The Climate Emergency, The World, and Me: Dr. Leonora King (KPU Geog + Env) and Dr. David Sadoway are teaming up to bring an exciting and important rendition of Arts 1100 course this spring. Please share the attached poster with your students. This co-taught course will introduce students to diverse interdisciplinary perspectives from across the Arts, focusing on the challenges of the present climate crisis. Students will examine questions like: Why is climate change happening, and why it is considered an ’emergency’? What does it mean to you, our society, and our world? In Arts 1100 we explore where we fit into this climate crisis, how we might adapt; and, critically, what we can do to effect change at the local, regional and global level. This course is part of KPU’s Climate+ Challenge, which aims to engage more students in learning about climate change.” 

KPU’s Climate+ Challenge!  This project is a KPU-wide initiative that engages students and instructors in learning about climate change, through an empathetic and solutions-oriented lens. The goal is to get more people at KPU talking, learning, thinking about and finding solutions to the climate emergency, and various climate-related challenges. This project is coordinated by Ellen Pond (Policy Studies and Urban Ecosystems) and Tracy Sherlock (Journalism and Communications). Faculty members who want to add climate-change content to their courses can sign up for something as small as having students complete a relevant assignment (resources are available) – or as big as running a whole course dedicated to “Climate+.” If you’re interested in taking part, visit the Climate+ website, fill out the contact form or email Ellen Pond (ellen.pond@kpu.ca) or Tracy Sherlock (tracy.sherlock@kpu.ca).   

KUDOS & CONGRATS 

Ecology and Color:  Amy Huestis (Fine Arts) recently published an article with KPU ecologists Lee Beavington and Carson Keever: “Ecology and colour in 1m2: a contemplative, place-based study” in the journal Cultural Studies of Science Education.  In the article linked here, they describe the Colour&Ecology in 1m2 project they have been running between FINA 1166: Colour Theory and Practice, and BIOL 2322: Ecology.  Amy notes, “This project has made my online Colour Theory class into such a rich learning experience for the students–one where community and nature are integral to their studies.” Congratulations on this interdisciplinary collaboration!  

Please note, we are planning a “pause” in the Arts Updates for November 26.  While there will be no update emailed Nov. 26, please keep sending your information and we will continue to share the news of the Faculty of Arts. 

Keeping everyone in our thoughts this weekend, 

Greg, Wade, Billeh, and Shelley