2 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, FEB. 19, 2015 EDITOR SHANNON LYNCH Cws Stores copy authentic designs First Nations artists are offended by the mainstreaming of their art y By ANNA DIMOFF rom Navajo hipsters to name- brand Cowichan sweaters, First Nations imagery is going main- stream in a way that is causing the authentic creators of these prod- ucts to feel overlooked. Many clothing stores, such as Ur- ban Outfitters and Forever 21 have recently used indigenous designs in their products. These retailers sell the pieces at a fraction of the price of the authentic wear, making it difficult for local artists to market their cre- ations and be taken seriously. Audrey Sieg], a prominent voice for aboriginal communities including South Vancouver’s Musqueam First Nation, said she sees Cowichan-style sweaters mass-produced by Aritzia’s in-house brand TNA as a “misrepre- sentation” of her culture. Aritzia calls it a “Sea-To-Sky Sweater” that is “in- spired by Northwest Coast knits.” “To think that [a sweater] could be plugged into a machine in order to recreate it,” Sieg] said. “It’s offensive on every level possible.” According to Darcy Coon, a local native artist who has been a wood carver for 18 years, it’s not just the monetary value that is altered, but the images’ meanings are negatively affected as well. Coon said he feels that the worth behind his craftsmanship is over- looked, as is the case for many First Nations artists. Sieg] also had similar thoughts, re- flecting on when her grandmother would knit sweaters to feed the fami- ly. “T think the value of these items is determined by the majority of society from the outside,” said Sieg], who be- lieves that market value does not re- flect the cultural significance of First Nations designs. “The way things are today, the carver will automatically accept [the money], because who knows how long he thinks he’ll hang on to his art for,” said Murphy George, an artist of the Saik’uz First Nation. He explained that he avoids selling to galleries for this reason. The website Authentic Indigenous encourages “the positive community impact of buying authentic Indige- nous art and craft.” It supports local artists by helping them promote their art through the Authentic Indigenous label. “If you want to use something like that you need to speak to the people who rightfully, for lack of a better word, own those cultures, live those cultures, are those cultures,” Sieg] said. Mo iy Aboriginal artist Darcy Coon carves a paddle in Gastown, where he sells his art to passersby. Free weed promotion South Van cannabis dis- pensary offers members a unique deal on marijuana By REBECCA PHAIR bachay Health Centers apart from other dispensaries in Vancouver. Eden Medicinal Society and Canna Farmacy, formerly known as Pacifc CannaMed, are cannabis dispensaries located just steps away from each other in the Marpole area. Although they share a mission to provide quality can- nabis to eligible patients, business is becoming increasingly competitive with the opening of Erbachay, also on the Granville block. “It’s a competitive business no mat- ter where you go. 0: free gram of marijuana sets Er- You have to know your buyers and your market,” said sales on certain strains of marijua- Darcy _ Delainey, owner of Erbachay. If p cop le Erbachay’s can’t see unique promotion includes a_ free what gram of “Purple Youre do- Kush” marijuana ; with every $30 pur- ing they chase. Delainey in. Won't troduced the deal trust what to show buyers ; that his clinic is You're do- unlike others. 7 Eden and Canna ing Farmacy both have DARCY DELAINEY ERBACHAY OWNER ~ ANNA DIMOFF photo na, though neither one offers advertised deals. “Tt’s all an effort to reduce the stigma around medicinal marijuana,” Delain- ey said. Secrecy and discretion is the philos- ophy at most dispensaries, which, ac- cording to Delainey, perpetuates the bad reputation given to purchasing medical marijuana. After spending months visiting countless cannabis clinics around Van- couver, Delainey opened his own clinic, designing every detail to be unique. Both Eden and Canna Farmacy keep their weed behind a series of doors. By contrast, Erbachay keeps it at the front. “If people can’t see what you’re do- ing they wont trust what you’re doing,” Delainey said. But not everyone believes complete transparency is the best way to reduce the stigma, said Justin Rolfe, a Canna Farmacy employee. “We aren’t hiding behind walls, we are just being respect- ful to the people who disagree with what we do.” Langara falls short Continued from page 1 While space continues to be an issue for faculty, Palmer pointed to numer- ous amenities and initiatives the col- lege provides for faculty such as a well- ness promotion program and emphasis on a respectful workplace. “One of the college’s strategic priori- ties is employee sustainability,” said Palmer. “We continually look for ways to enhance our employee programs.” She said Langara’s administration is proud of the application submitted to Canada’s Top 100 Employers. “Even though we were not selected for the B.C. list, we are thrilled and honoured to have been shortlisted for the national competition,” she said, adding they will apply again in future. For now, the focus is on enhancing pro- grams to “continue providing a posi- tive, healthy, inspiring working envi- ronment for all our valuable employees.” $50,000 gaming grant to South Van policing centre South Vancouver’s policing centre uses every dollar of extra grant money to try and make ends meet By BAILEY NICHOLSON Policing Centre is stretching every dollar of grant money it received this year to keep crime out of the com- munity as well as keep their opera- tions afloat. SVCPC received $50,000 in October 2014 through a community gaming grant issued by the province’s Ministry of Finance gaming policy and enforce- ment branch. B.C. gaming revenues fund these grants annually. In previous years, B.C. gaming had issued $30,000 to the cen- tre, but expensive and mandatory of- fice relocation caused executive direc- tor Adrien Balazs to ask for more money this time around. T: South Vancouver Community “We were really grappling and look- ing to see where we could raise the nec- essary funds,” Balazs said. “Without it, I don’t know how we would be able to exist.” The lease agreement for SVCPC ex- pired at the end of 2014 at their last lo- cation, and renewal wasn’t permitted. The centre has moved three blocks down to 5485 Victoria Drive, but with an annual rent increase of $30,000 and moving costs to compensate for. “T did ask that they be more gener- ous this year, but that doesn’t mean that we can make ends meet,” Balazs said. The grant money is also being put toward community outreach educa- tion, patrol programs, road safety, vic- tim and information services, staff sal- aries and supplies necessary for the centre to successfully operate. For 2014 , grants were provided to 464 other Vancouver community pro- grams. Recipients include the West End- Coal Harbour Community Policing Centre, which also struggles to survive on less grant money with high rent and rising operational costs, according to executive director Aleya Trott. Despite this, Trott said she believes B.C. gam- ing does consider public safety organi- zations a priority. “There aren’t a lot of funders out there that allow for that overhead cost in public safety,” Trott said. Representatives from the gaming policy and enforcement branch de- clined to comment on grant funding. IN BRIEF MBC. gaming gave SVCPC $30,000 as grant money in previous years HM in October 2014, B.C. gaming gave the centre an extra $20,000 to cover rent increases and moving costs Ho The grant money will also go toward commu- nity outreach, road safety, and patrol programs