The Arts · Grade 8

Active learning ideas

Impact of Colonialism on Indigenous Arts

Active learning transforms this complex history into tangible understanding. Students engage directly with artworks, artist stories, and debates, making colonial impacts visible rather than abstract. Movement, collaboration, and critical analysis build empathy and historical accuracy in ways passive methods cannot.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• VA:Cn11.1.8a
• VA:Re9.1.8a

• 40–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 50 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Suppression and Resurgence

Display 12-15 images of pre-colonial, suppressed, and modern Indigenous artworks from Canadian artists like Norval Morrisseau. Small groups visit stations, noting changes in motifs and materials, then share findings on a class chart. Conclude with a whole-class reflection on adaptation strategies.

Analyze how colonial policies attempted to suppress Indigenous artistic expression.

Facilitation Tip

For the Timeline Creation, provide blank strips of paper and markers so students can physically move and adjust their entries as they refine their understanding of resurgence.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How did policies like the Indian Act and the residential school system specifically aim to disrupt Indigenous artistic traditions, and what evidence do we see of this disruption in historical art?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to reference specific examples discussed in class.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 60 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Artist Resistance Profiles

Assign each small group one Indigenous artist (e.g., Bill Reid, Daphne Odjig) who resisted colonialism. Groups research adaptations and assertions of identity, then teach peers via 3-minute presentations. Students compile a shared digital mural of key stories.

Explain how Indigenous artists have used their art to resist colonialism and assert identity.

What to look for

Ask students to write down one specific example of how an Indigenous artist today is using their art to resist colonial legacies or assert their identity. They should also briefly explain the connection to historical suppression.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Fishbowl Discussion
• 45 min · Pairs

Museum Critique Debate

Pairs prepare arguments for and against a historical museum display of Indigenous art as 'primitive.' Hold a structured debate with evidence from unit texts. Follow with individual reflections on ethical representation.

Critique the historical representation of Indigenous art in Western museums and galleries.

What to look for

Present images of historical and contemporary Indigenous artworks. Ask students to identify one element in each that shows adaptation or resurgence in response to colonial impacts. Students can write their observations on a shared digital document or whiteboard.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Fishbowl Discussion
• 40 min · Small Groups

Timeline Creation: Art Resurgence

In small groups, students sequence events from colonial suppression to modern revivals using artist quotes and images. Add personal connections to current events. Display timelines for a walking tour and peer feedback.

Analyze how colonial policies attempted to suppress Indigenous artistic expression.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'How did policies like the Indian Act and the residential school system specifically aim to disrupt Indigenous artistic traditions, and what evidence do we see of this disruption in historical art?' Facilitate a class discussion, encouraging students to reference specific examples discussed in class.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start by acknowledging the emotional weight of this history. Use primary sources and first-person accounts to avoid flattening Indigenous experiences into a single narrative. Avoid framing assimilation as inevitable; instead, highlight the ongoing agency of Indigenous artists through resurgence. Research shows students grasp colonial impacts best when they see both the damage and the creative resistance side by side.

Students will explain how colonial policies disrupted Indigenous arts and identify moments of adaptation or resurgence in artworks or artist practices. They will connect historical suppression to present-day innovations through specific examples and evidence from class discussions or critiques.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk: Suppression and Resurgence, students may assume colonial impacts ended decades ago.

  During the Gallery Walk, pause at each station to ask students to find one piece of evidence showing either suppression or resurgence. Direct them to note dates and policies on the wall text, then discuss how these impacts continue in living traditions.

• During the Jigsaw: Artist Resistance Profiles, students might think Indigenous artists fully abandoned traditional styles under colonialism.

  During the jigsaw, have students compare examples of artworks from before and after suppression. Ask them to identify subtle motifs or materials that survived, highlighting hybrid innovations as proof of resistance rather than assimilation.

• During the Museum Critique Debate, students may believe Western museums accurately represent Indigenous art histories.

  During the debate, assign half the class to argue for museum accuracy and half to critique it. Provide them with the actual museum labels and artwork descriptions to analyze, forcing them to confront biases directly using the materials in front of them.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Jigsaw
• Fishbowl Discussion