The project focuses on New Genre Arctic Art Education developed by the Arctic Sustainable Arts and Design network, aiming to integrate contemporary art practices with Indigenous land-based education and knowledge to address Arctic challenges like climate change.
“Lessons of the land” develops ways to integrate the narrative possibilities of contemporary digital art with Indigenous land-based education and learning theories in a culturally sensitive and sustainable manner.
Support for this AAE sub-project is provided by the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative – Indigenous and Northern Collaborative Research and Education Fund, Canada.
The Lessons of the Land: New Genre Arctic Art and Land-Based Learning project transforms art education by merging land-based learning with digital media education. As a part of the New Genre Arctic Art Education initiative, this project aims to build a hybrid model for student-teachers, combining digital and onsite learning experiences. The initiative promotes respect, cultural sensitivity, and sustainability in Arctic communities by integrating dialogical, participatory art-based methods with land-based education and digital media.
Activities have taken place in Utsjoki (Sámi area), Narsaq in Greenland, and various locations in Canada. The project culminates in a congress and exhibition at Memorial University showcasing AAE outcomes.
Course Implementation and Collaborative Outcomes
A core feature of the project is designing and implementing a course tailored to each participating country, delivered in collaboration with partner universities and local schools. Digital art-based processes and outcomes are shared across partner institutions online, creating a cross-border engagement and collaboration platform.
Results will be disseminated through participatory community events, ASAD network meetings, and both virtual and onsite exhibitions, amplifying Canadian Indigenous voices within a global circumpolar perspective. The findings will also contribute to educational publications.
One result of the project will be the book Relate North: Lessons of the Land. The call for book chapters has been disseminated. This collection will seek to share understandings and approaches to both Indigenous land-based education and land-based education more generally, including the interface of interdisciplinary and collaborative pedagogy. Book chapters can include examples of visual arts and design projects, traditional and contemporary craft, arts-based research, and educational initiatives from across the circumpolar North that engage with the Land as a teacher.