One of the last provinces in Canada to be settled by European explorers, British Columbia is home to total of twenty-seven distinct First Nations with more than two-hundred communities with eight different language groups throughout British Columbia and Vancouver Island(1).
Eden Robinson is a Haisla woman who grew up near Kitamaat, BC. An award winning author, Eden creates detailed characters and situations in believable fictional worlds she writes. Her first series of stories Traplines, was awarded the Winifred Holtby Prize for the best first work of fiction in the Commonwealth, and was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and Notable Book of the Year. She lives in North Vancouver. Monkey Beach was published in the New Face of Fiction program in 2000(2).
Blood Sport (McClelland & Stewart, 2005)
Monkey Beach (Vintage Canada, 2001)
Monkey Beach (Knopf Canada, 2000)
Traplines (Vintage Canada, 1998)
En’owkin Centre: A place where education meets tradition and cultivates excellence
Founded in the late 1970’s by the Okanagan Nation, the En’owkin Centre is an Indigenous cultural, educational and creative arts institution located in Penticton, BC, which offers university/college transfer diplomas and certificate programs. With a team of professional artists, writers, facilitators and Indigenous advocates makes up the highly qualified staff who collectively offer a culturally sensitive learning environment in a nurturing and challenging atmosphere. Indigenous students from across North America enroll at En’owkin in a uniquely designed building that is designed to replicate a traditional Okanagan winter home and gather to replenish their spirits in a teaching place where story, cooperation, education and artistry come together. En’owkin provides students with a strong cultural and academic foundation for success in further post-secondary studies. Many former En’owkin students have gone on to become National and International accomplished writers, artists and educators. They have achieved graduate degrees, accolades and are leaders in their communities.
The En’owkin Centre hosts many regional, national and international Indigenous conferences and forums where students are always encouraged to participate(3).
This article is a non-comprehensive and living document that provides an overview of artistic activities in the region. It will be revised as necessary as part of our ongoing process of continuous updates.
1) http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/map.htm
2) http://www.randomhouse.ca/newface/robinson.php#books
3) http://www.enowkincentre.ca/about.html