Kindergarten Explore Formline Art in Math Lessons

By Ms. Consuela Lai, Kindergarten Teacher, Mr. Darryl Lee, Head of Mathematics, and Brittney Townrow, Indigenous Education Coordinator 

This week kindergarten students were introduced to Formline art, a traditional art form shared by Indigenous Nations along the northern Pacific Northwest Coast, including the Heiltsuk, Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit, and Nisga’a. Through hands-on learning, students traced and worked with the ovoid, U shape, and S shape—shapes that carry teachings, stories, and meaning passed down through generations.

For their lessons, they traced and built with these shapes using materials from nature during an outdoor learning experience. They also learned where these Nations live, including Bella Bella, home of the Heiltsuk Nation, and how the journey there from Vancouver would take almost a full day by car and ferry. The lesson helped students begin to understand how art can carry teachings, stories, and family knowledge, and how important it is to learn with care and respect from the land and from Indigenous communities.