By Indigenous Life Sport Academy

online auction ends June 21

Indigenous artwork raises funds for youth sports programs

Jun 18, 2021 | 11:03 AM

WHISTLER, British Columbia June 16, 2021 — The Indigenous Life Sport Academy (ILSA) is hosting an online auction featuring stunning artwork from Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists across Canada.

These unique pieces are hand painted and crafted on skateboards, with the goal of raising money for ILSA’s programs. Every year, ILSA supports over 300 Indigenous and in-care youth in British Columbia’s Sea-to-Sky corridor by providing free access, equipment, and coaching for unstructured sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking.

“We all realize the value that skateboarding and snowboarding has brought to our lives. We’re living testaments and we want to give back to our community in the same way that the sport gave back to us,” says Court Larabee, ILSA’s Executive Director.

“The mission of ILSA is simple: to create role models for social change, and to build up the mental health and physical well-being of all our Indigenous youth.”

The one-of-a-kind pieces are custom designed by award-winning and celebrated artists such as Xwalacktun (Rick Harry), who designed the 16-foot sculpture outside of Whistler’s Audain Art Museum; Klatle Bhi, who carved a 22-foot totem pole for Vancouver’s 2010 Olympics; and Aaron Nelson-Moody, whose work includes the carved doors to the Canada House Pavillion at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. These priceless works are currently being featured as part of the “Boarder X” exhibit at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, which showcases modern Indigenous artists involved in board sport culture.

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“When you first look at a skateboard it looks pretty unassuming, just a piece of wood and some metal and some wheels but to a skateboarder, it’s freedom. It’s a way to express themselves,” says Michael Barton, ILSA’s Skateboard Manager.

“I think there is a sense of belonging on concrete and on pavement that is just as inviting as being out in the trees or in the mountains. I think unstructured sports allow a sense of belonging in the outdoors and in a space that is so natural to us as Indigenous people,” says Myia Antone, ILSA’s Hiking Programs Director.

The auction is currently live on 32 Auctions and will end on June 21, the intersection of Summer Solstice, Indigenous Peoples Day, and Go Skateboarding Day.

“We’re breaking down barriers and allowing access across the board,” says Larabee.