The conference “Everything is Connected: Song, Relationships, and Indigenous Worldviews” took place Monday and Tuesday, May 9 and 10, 2022, at the Student Union Building, University of Victoria (UVic) campus in Victoria, BC. The purpose of this conference was for these groups of people to learn from one another and create new knowledge on these matters of concern.
Participants included 39 teachers, 24 Knowledge Keepers, and 42 Indigenous leads representing 40 of B.C.’s 60 school districts, plus 1 Yukon district, and 53 others attended virtually via Zoom video teleconference. Apart from people working in school districts, attendees included two music educators working at independent schools, four UVic Elders, six informal witnesses (music education professors from across Canada), and 20 special invitees.
A Conference Steering Committee (CSC) led the way to organize the conference. The CSC comprised 21 highly dedicated Indigenous leaders, music educators (Indigenous and non-Indigenous), Indigenous artists, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous university researchers who worked together to plan the event. The CSC members represented the following partner organizations: Victoria Native Friendship Center, BC Ministry of Education (Indigenous Branch), BC Music Educators’ Association, School District 61 (Greater Victoria), School District 83 (North Okanagan-Shuswap), Pacific Opera, University of British Columbia, and the University of Victoria.