Grades 8 through 12 students can deepen their understanding of social injustices and discriminatory policies in British Columbia with a new study guide — Balancing History: Warp Weft Weave: Joining Generations — launched today by award-winning author and visual artist Jenn Ashton and well-known local editor Andrea Lister, in partnership with the British Columbia Historical Federation.
This study guide has been prepared to accompany the British Columbia History magazine article “Warp Weft Weave: Joining Generations” (Vol 53, Issue 3, Fall 2020 – Print | Digital) by Jenn Ashton. “Warp Weft Weave: Joining Generations” is the second article in the series of written and visual art that explores Ashton’s journey to discover her Indigenous roots and her Coast Salish family.
The focus of the study guide is intended to encourage students to dig deeper into history to find a voice that was quieted or unheard. The guide will deepen understanding and knowledge of colonial histories and the current realities of Indigenous People, as well as, an understanding of social injustices and discriminatory policies in Canada (including Residential Schools, the head tax, the legal system, disenfranchisement, and internments). It may be used in any class from Social Studies to English and the Arts, encouraging students to use their creative voice in answering the questions posed. It is intended to guide classroom discussions about the past and in doing so, prevent future discrimination.
Inspiration for the project came from a call from British Columbians for a more comprehensive educational component focused on historical discrimination in British Columbia. The Balancing History: Warp Weft Weave: Joining Generations Study Guide can be downloaded from the British Columbia Historical Federation’s website, Jenn Ashton’s website, Andrea Lister’s website, and through EBSCO.
Background Information
Jenn Ashton is an award-winning author and visual artist living in North Vancouver, BC. She is the author of the prize-winning “Siamelaht” in British Columbia History in 2019 and of the forthcoming People Like Frank, and Other Stories from the Edge of Normal by Tidewater Press. She is a Director on the Board of the Federation of British Columbia Writers as well as The BC Indigenous Writers Collective. Jenn is currently completing a book about the history of family in Vancouver and is currently studying at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Andrea Lister wears many hats. She is the principal of Absolutely Literate, a communications service specializing in editing, research, genealogy, writing, design, and marketing; outgoing editor of British Columbia History magazine; author of the sold-out book Commitment to Caring: Chilliwack Hospital Auxiliary’s 100 Years; editor of heritage award winner, Surrey: A City of Stories; contributor, draft Research Guide to Learning about Indigenous People and their History in Surrey, for the Surrey Archives; researcher, editor, coach, and image harvester for Larder of the Wise: The Story of Vancouver’s James Inglis Reid Ltd by M. Anne Wyness.
The British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) encourages interest in the history of British Columbia through research, presentation, and support in its role as an umbrella organization for provincial historical societies. Established in 1922, the Federation currently provides a collective voice for over 100 member societies and 24,000 individuals in the provincial not-for-profit historical sector.
