Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning Through Ceremony

Sara Florence Davidson (she/her) is a Haida/Settler Assistant Professor in Indigenous Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University. Previously, she was an educator working with adolescents in the K-12 system in British Columbia and Yukon Territory. Sara is the co-author of Potlatch as Pedagogy: Learning through Ceremony­, which she wrote with her father, and Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii, which she wrote with her stepmother, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson.When she is not reading or writing, Sara can be found walking with her dog, drinking tea, or listening to stories and learning something new.

Robert Davidson is one of the most respected and important contemporary artists in Canada. A Northwest Coast native of Haida descent, he is a master carver of totem poles and masks and works in a variety of other media as a printmaker, painter, and jeweller. A leading figure in the renaissance of Haida art and culture, Robert is best known as an impeccable craftsman whose creative and personal interpretation of traditional Haida form is unparalleled. He has also been recognized with many awards, including being named an Officer to the Order of Canada.

Jo-ann Archibald Q’um Q’um Xiiem, PhD, is a member of the Stó:lō First Nation and has kinship in St’at’imc First Nation in British Columbia. Over a 45-year educational career, Q’um Q’um Xiiem has served as a school teacher, curriculum developer, researcher, author, university leader and professor. She is Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia (UBC).Q’um Q’um Xiiem’s scholarship relates to Indigenous knowledge systems, storywork and oral tradition, transformative education at all levels, Indigenous educational history, teacher and graduate education, and Indigenous methodologies. She is the author of Indigenous Storywork: Educating the Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit as well as many other publications.In 2018, Q’um Q’um Xiiem was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for her lifelong contributions to advancing Indigenous education in K–12 and post-secondary education through policy, programs, curricula, and research.