Kajola Morewood Appointed Associate Director, Aboriginal Programs at ECU

Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) is pleased to announce the appointment of artist and educator Kajola Morewood as Associate Director, Aboriginal Programs.

The position contributes toward operational and strategic leadership on Indigenous initiatives, contributes to the cultural voice in Aboriginal Programs, and helps develop relationships with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities both inside and outside the university.

The Associate Director, Aboriginal Programs also provides day-to-day leadership and administration for the Aboriginal Gathering Place (AGP) and administers support services for Indigenous learners.

“Kajola holds an incredible depth of knowledge and experience, not only around ways to support and foster Indigenous community at ECU, but also around the broader importance and power of culturally appropriate education and resources within institutions,” Daina says. “With this position, she’ll be able to work more holistically with partners across the university and beyond to support the development of new opportunities for our students’ artistic and career growth, community impact and cultural health. I’m very excited to being working with her on what will be an extraordinary new chapter for Indigenous programming at ECU.”

A long-term member of the community, Kajola first began working at ECU in 1995, holding positions throughout departments including Admissions, Records + Registration, Accessibility Services and the Library until 2021. That year, she briefly left ECU for a position as Indigenous Initiatives and Services Librarian at Okanagan College, returning in 2022 to work as Aboriginal Programs Manager at ECU.

Kajola holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from ECU (2011), and a Master of Library and Information Studies with First Nations Curriculum Concentration from the University of British Columbia (2021).

During her master's studies — and while maintaining a position at ECU — she worked as an Ilinniaqtuit (Student Learner) via Inuit Futures in Arts Leadership, assisting Inuit filmmaker and ECU faculty member Lindsay McIntyre in the creation of an animated film shown at Qaumajuq at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. She also served as a Student Librarian with the Xwi7xwa Library at UBC.

She says she has personally experienced the transformative effects of Indigenous mentorship during her time at ECU. She cites her relationship with Brenda Crabtree, former Director of Aboriginal Programs and Special Advisor to the President on Indigenous Initiatives at ECU (now retired), as a powerful influence she hopes to emulate for the next generation of Indigenous learners at ECU.

“Brenda pulled me in and told me, ‘This is your community too.’ She connected me with opportunities to learn more about my cultural background, which I didn't have as a kid,” Kajola says. “Her mentorship changed my life, my art practice and my career path. It shaped all those things, and I now have an opportunity to build on her incredible legacy. I’m excited to expand the realm of possibilities for our students and for the AGP, and I’m honoured to be doing it alongside my colleagues, Sydney Pascal and Daina Warren.”

Kajola brings a distinguished record of academic and professional service to her position, including participation in numerous panels and committees, and as a presenter, facilitator and speaker at symposia and other events both at ECU and across the country.

She is a member of organizations including the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association, the Native American Art Studies Association, and the Oskâpêwis Mentorship Group for Indigenous Librarians.

A committed artist, Kajola has also shown her work in exhibitions throughout BC and the Northwest Territories.