YET SUN HEYWA
"We are going somewhere"

Omdrea Boland, Brenda Sam, Jason George,
Randi Cook, Steve Ansell, Debbie Schwab

The University of Victoria's Maltwood Museum and Art Gallery is proud to present its collection of Northwest Coast First Nations prints. Having 2000 prints in their collection, this website was established to make a small sample of this art globally accessible.

The goal is to present these images in a stimulating and informative manner through SchoolNet. The user will encounter the art in the form of a game: It is an educational art game. It will test the user's learning of the Northwest Coast First Nations peoples and their art.

The First Nations of the Northwest Coast of B.C. are a diverse group of peoples. Even within a Nation, the villages differ from each other in history and customs. These peoples have strong art traditions. This site focuses on innovative artists who are strongly rooted in their cultures. As First Nations people have endured major societal changes, it is natural to think that the artwork would reflect that. Art is an expression for individuals and also an expression of the culture. First Nations art is more than pretty pictures - there is meaning rooted in the history, family, stories, beliefs and traditions of the peoples. There is life to the art.

In the following you may access more specific information about the cultures, or play a game based on First Nations art. The game is a journey through the six nations. Your aim is to complete the journey in the fewest number of days possible and most importantly, have fun!

Omdrea Boland

I am presently in my Professional Year of the Secondary Education program at the University of Victoria, majoring in Art and English.

My role in the production of this website includes: organization and delegation of tasks, research, interviewing, photography, writing and art. This project increased my leadership and teamwork skills. Most importantly, it increased my awareness of one of the most unacknowledged art forms in North America. Any art educator, student, anthropologist or casual learner will be fortunate to experience the art and culture of the Northwest Coast First Nations peoples through this game. Enjoy!

I graduated last April from the University of Victoria with a B.A., double major in English and History. I have specialized in Aboriginal History. I am going back for a Bachelor's of Education. I plan to be an Elementary teacher. As a Coast Salish person and future teacher, this project has been very valuable to me. I feel privileged to have worked with such a talented team. We all contributed in various ways. My main role was contacting and interviewing the artists. I also researched and wrote much of the cultural information. I was able to enhance my cultural knowledge and meet some wonderful artists. I thank all of them for participating. All of you, hy-ch'ka!

I graduted with honours in June 1996 from Mount Douglas High School in Victoria, B.C., Canada. I am continuing my education at the University of Victoria with plans to major in the Classics, or as they are now called, Greek and Roman Studies.

To this project I brought a solid background in computers of all platforms (Macintosh, IBM PC compatible and Amiga) and knowledge of the InterNet and World Wide Web authoring. I contributed the structure of this website, research, sounds, many of the functional graphics, and my expertise gained from over a decade in the computer and technology field. In return, I gained an eventful summer, expanded horizons, and pleasant memories of the time spent working on this project.

I am a student at Camosun College, majoring in Sciences. I am planning to attend UBC next year for architecture. I enjoyed working in the program as a learning experience and I hope that a lot of people will get a better understanding of First Nations art, and the peoples of the West Coast.

I graduated from Claremont Secondary School in June 1996, and am going on to study Computer Engineering at the University of Victoria. In grade 12 I completed the Career Preparation program in Computer Science, working at a local multimedia company. There I obtained skills in creating Internet applications, including web pages, Shockwave, and Java programming.

I did most the initial construction for this project, taking the raw text and forming it into a web accessible structure. I also handled digitizing and editing most of the images used. The most enjoyable part of this project was the teamwork, with everyone contributing their own diverse talents to the job.

In June of 1996 I graduated from grade 12 at Esquimalt Secondary School in Victoria, B.C., where I was taking a two year Career Preparation Program in Graphics. In that course I obtained skills in photography, lithography, visual design, and screenprinting. In fall of 1996, I will be attending The Alberta College of Art & Design in Calgary, Alberta where I will major in Visual Communications.

I had various roles in creating this Website. I contributed artwork, photography, research, and oversaw the graphic design elements. This project has been of great benefit to me, and I believe that once it is discovered it will in turn benefit everyone who is fortunate enough to come in contact with it. In my future I plan to have my own business in either commercial advertising or autographics.