Canadian University Press Releases/Newswire

Source: Malaspina University College
http://www.mala.ca/media/release.asp?ID=976

New University courses to include Northwest Coast First Nations carving

October 19, 2006

Spanish, religion,
criminology and Northwest Coast First Nations Carving courses will spice up
an already extensive selection of university-level courses being offered at
Malaspina University-College’s Cowichan campus in spring 2007.

The Cowichan campus offers more than 30 university-level courses each
semester.

This January there are four new classes up for grabs, including Religions
111: World Religions, Criminology 103: Individual Explanations for Crime and
Deviance, Spanish 100: Beginning Spanish 1 and First Nations Studies 380:
Intro to Northwest Coast First Nations Carving.

Jane Marston, an accomplished Chemainus First Nation artist and carver, is
teaching the Intro to Northwest Coast First Nations Carving. Marston learned
much of her carving skills from the late Cowichan Coast Salish elder and
Master carver Simon Charlie.

"I thought it would be great to give back to our community and our people
the things I’ve learned," said Marston, who loves teaching and is excited
about this new course. "This class won’t be as rigid as a lecture. It’s more
about community teaching with people learning at their own pace. It’s really
fun – you laugh a lot. It’s fun to teach that way."

The course will be a mixture of theory, interactive class discussion and
hands-on carving.

"Coast Salish art isn’t as well known as Haida and Kwagiulth carving," said
Marston. "We’re not all totem pole people. Northwest Coast First Nations’
art was often found in more utilitarian objects."

Course offerings are ever-expanding to meet the needs of Cowichan Valley
students and their requests for specific courses, said Maria Lauridsen,
Malaspina’s Cowichan campus interim principal.

"As we move forward with the relocation to a new campus in 2010 we want to
be able to provide students living in the Cowichan Valley with a broad mix
of courses to satisfy first and second year university student timetables so
they can study close to home," she said.

Registration for spring 2007 courses is being taken now. For information go
to www.mala.ca/cowichan or call registration at 746-3512 or 746-3513.

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For more information contact: Toni O'Keeffe, Director of Communications &
Public Relations. Phone (250) 740-6341; FAX (250) 740-6474; E-mail
okeeffet@mala.bc.ca