Waniskâw Foundation Logo

Waniskâw Foundation

What Is Waniskâw?

TRY WANISKÂW

Waniskâw is a transformative platform dedicated to empowering Indigenous youth in their teens and early twenties through tech education deeply rooted in traditional knowledge. Serving as a safe space, Waniskâw fosters creativity and self-expression through digital art and coding, enabling youth to showcase their cultural heritage while acquiring valuable skills. Our mission extends beyond skill-building; it encompasses bridging communities and promoting digital sovereignty, aiming to address the lost potential of Indigenous peoples who were denied opportunities to explore their passions and talents.

As part of our commitment, Waniskâw will collaborate closely with local Indigenous organizations and arts institutions to run workshops, ensuring our programs resonate deeply within Indigenous communities. Through these partnerships, we strive to amplify the voices and talents of Indigenous youth, paving the way for systemic change and a brighter future. We invite individuals and organizations to join us in this movement, redefining the narrative and celebrating every Indigenous voice with Waniskâw. Together, we can build a future where Indigenous youth thrive, their cultural heritage honored, and their potential unleashed.

Screenshot of a project gallery

Discover projects

In addition to highlighting resources, our home page serves as a gallery, showcasing a diverse array of projects, including games, zines, interactive art, example code snippets, static image art, GIFs, and asset packs. Here, learners can discover the possibilities of digital art and coding, drawing inspiration from the innovative work of their peers.

Screenshot of a code editor interface

Create & Remix

Remixing existing projects enables learners to surpass their individual capabilities by tapping into the support of their online community. This collaborative effort fosters a sense of belonging and the rewarding feeling of contributing to a collective growth and innovation.

Screenshot of a colorful pixel art game

Share your vision

Learners are encouraged to share their completed projects with friends and followers by posting project links on their social media. This emphasis on sharing not only strengthens the social dimension of learning but also amplifies the reach of each individual's message, fostering a sense of community, collaboration and impact.

Awards & Accolades

Contributors

Waniskâw extends our deepest thanks to everyone who has supported our progress.

The Processing Foundation created the p5.js language and the web editor that form the foundation of Waniskâw’s platform. Our volunteers who adapted this code to create Version 0.1 include Alja Cekada, Gavin Ho, Gyunay Kadirov, Koshiro Kiyota, and Torin O’Regan-Latarius. Alja and Torin continued contributing months after the original volunteer program had ended, helping make our beta launch possible. Version 0.1 was coordinated with support from the EY Ripples Program, whose corporate-responsibility initiative provided advisory support to our team.

Through the Centre for Digital Media in Vancouver, Waniskâw was honoured to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of master’s students who created the first version of our vector-art tool. What was once a long-term dream became reality thanks to the efforts of Annie Trieu, Ayushi Singh, Ella Green, Jerry (Jingyuan) Liu, Praveen Namasivayam, and Jonah Curl.

Board of Directors

Headshot of James Cutfeet

James Cutfeet

Board Member

Headshot of Daniel Cutfeet

Daniel Cutfeet

Board Member

Get in touch. Together we can co-create an indigenous empowered future.

This is a clanker-free zone. We are not interested in purchasing or subscribing to any AI powered services.