IRINE PRASTIO | M.A. STUDENT

I was born and raised in the town of Bandung, in the island of Java, Indonesia. I immigrated to the United States in my early twenties and then moved to Vancouver in 2007.  As an immigrant I often find myself torn between the two, sometimes contrasting cultures that shaped and influence me.  This was partly one of the reasons that encouraged me to continue my education, to better understand the role of media and culture in shaping social identity.

I graduated from Simon Fraser University, School of Interactive Arts and Technology in the summer of 2012. I am now continuing my education to pursue a Master of Arts Degree under the supervision of Professors Kate Hennessy and Jim Bizzocchi at School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University. As an IPinCH Graduate Fellow, and having worked in the last two years as a research and production assistant on the Inuvialuit Living History Project, I am interested in exploring the expression of Inuvialuit intellectual property rights in context of traditional knowledge and its representation in the Inuvialuit Living History website. In particular, I would like to explore the Inuvialuit perspectives surrounding traditional sewing techniques and pattern making of their traditional clothing such as parkas, mukluks, and gloves.  All of these clothing articles are represented in the MacFarlane Collection and have been a part of local sewing revitalization projects. I am also interested in the ways in which these sewing traditions are related to hunting and trapping practices and knowledge of the land.