December 3 is Giving Tuesday, a day when the entire UVic community will unite around a common cause — supporting the students and programs that make this university the very special place it is.
This year, UVic’s Faculty of Fine Arts is raising funds to honour and celebrate Indigenous voices through the sxʷiʔe ̕m “To Tell A Story” Indigenous Writers & Storytellers Series — and we have a special opportunity to double your gift, as the first $5,000 donated before midnight tomorrow (Tuesday, Dec 3) will be MATCHED dollar-for-dollar by one of our generous donors.
Will you make a Giving Tuesday donation to the Indigenous Writers & Storytellers Series?
The inaugural sxʷiʔe ̕m event at UVic’s First Peoples House in 2023
Inspiring & uplifting
Created by acclaimed Métis poet and Department of Writing professor Gregory Scofield, this annual series is an inspiring way of uplifting Indigenous literary achievements and engaging with our local community of writers and readers. “My goal is to honour the nations on whose territory we live, and to celebrate and honour the writers and storytellers in our communities,” he says.
Launched in 2023, the inaugural sxʷiʔe ̕m series featured two acclaimed UVic Writing alumni: Syilx Okanagan multidisciplinary author Jeannette Armstrong and award-winning WSÁNEC poet Philip Kevin Paul. This year we presented Icelandic/Red River Métis poet Jónína Kirton and Cree author Joseph Kakwinokansum.
Joseph Kakwinokansum (left) & Jónína Kirton in conversation with Gregory Scofield in 2024
An exciting time
There are so many important stories to be shared by Indigenous artists, through mediums of literature, film, music, dance and oral storytelling. Your donation on Dec 3 — which, again, will be doubled — will connect Fine Arts students and local community members with Indigenous perspectives, knowledge, creativity and history. Giving Tuesday is an inspiring day when millions of people unite around good causes: it’s hard to think of a better cause than uplifting the voices of Indigenous artists.
“It’s a very exciting time for Indigenous writers and storytellers,” says Professor Scofield. “As more Canadians become aware of truth and reconciliation, more people are reading works by Indigenous writers and gaining knowledge of our history.”
Twice the impact
Will you see the impact of your gift doubled by making a Giving Tuesday donation to the sxʷiʔe ̕m “To Tell A Story” series before midnight (Tuesday, Dec 3)?
Together, we can continue to honour and celebrate Indigenous voices through the important work of this ongoing series.
Sales were brisk at the book table at the 2024 sxʷiʔe ̕m event