Northwest Coast Jewelry Arts
​Native Education College

Established in 2008, the Native Education College’s Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts (NCJA) program is the first training program specific to Indigenous jewellery traditions. With knowledgeable instructors and a large jewellery workshop, the course has a focus on the Northwest Coast styles and the skills learned may be used by artists of other First Nations, Inuit and Metis cultures. The program helps ensure the cultural knowledge and skills of the Northwest Coast arts traditions and jewellery engraving skills are passed on to the next generation. Graduates of NCJA may continue on to further education at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, mentor with master artists, or become jewellery entrepreneurs.
Note: While this program is specifically geared towards developing artistic design skills and recognition of the Northwest Coast (NWC) styles, you are not required to reproduce NWC designs, particularly if your heritage and ancestry originates from other Indigenous nations across Turtle Island. An important element of this program is utilizing the artistic skills gained through the training as a launching point to develop and create artistic work that honours your personal nation(s) of origin. Students without community permission to use Northwest Coast designs may find it challenging to adapt their own heritage designs but are not excluded from taking the program.

---

Examples of Marissa Nahanee's work

Coast Salish Bracelet

Moon Design with weaving in the background

---

Woven Earrings

Hoop earrings with Cedar-Bark weaving Design

---

Coast Salish Eagle

Size 7 Coast Salish Eagle Ring