‘Know Who You Are and Where You Come From’

This interview highlights the work of contemporary artist Debra Sparrow, Coast Salish-Musqueam. Sparrow carries the three-fold responsibility of single-handedly raising children, putting in place a holistic educational programme, and producing excellence in design and art. Debra and her sister, Robyn Sparrow, often work on creative commissions together and have produced a line of modestly-priced machine-woven blankets and vests for the retail market, in partnership with Kanata Company. The backdrop against which they work is one marked by a resilience of spirit against repeated cultural losses incurred through the European colonisation of their homeland, since the late 1700s.