Interview: Cole Sparrow-Crawford on His Walk Gently Collaboration with Arc’teryx
Seven gender-neutral products born from connection and community
Walk Gently, a new design platform for Indigenous voices, was created in collaboration with xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist and designer Cole Sparrow-Crawford and technical outerwear performance company Arc’teryx. Arc’teryx, was founded on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples, a place known today as Vancouver, BC—the same Coast Salish region where Sparrow-Crawford’s ancestors have lived for time immemorial. Walk Gently honors collaboration—the cooperative and respectful relationship between people with land and sea. For it, Sparrow-Crawford incorporates traditions of fishing, canoeing as well as Coast Salish weaving and ancestral design patterns.
Though the physical, purchasable tangibles from the Walk Gently collaboration are seven gender-neutral apparel products ranging from footwear, apparel, packs and a blanket (a first for Arc’teryx), the emotional tangibles are connection and community.
We spoke with Sparrow-Crawford about his journey thus far in the Walk Gently platform.
For those who haven’t walked among cedar on the coast, can you describe the smell and other senses that you experience?
Being in the coastal elements among the cedar, is an experience that offers an amazing opportunity to connect with the natural world, as well as its history. Throughout the Salish territory the mighty cedar tree is a vital component to our landscape and way of life. This tree displays the history of this land and can be felt when walking among them with the scale/size of the old growth. I also see my own history in this tree. You can walk through the forest and spot harvesting strips that have taken place generations before, and connect my ancestors to this very place, practicing the same traditions we do today with cedar harvesting. This natural element offers a connection to history and who has occupied this land since time immemorial.
Fish, cedar, and berries have been honored in this collection. Can you talk about harvesting in a good way?
For my people, harvesting is an example of how we can be a part of our ecosystem and help it thrive. But some only see harvesting as an act of taking. How we have lived in relationship with the land offers everyone a way of life that emulates reciprocity. A true relationship. Instead of viewing it as an opportunity to take from the land, the way my people have lived shows we can occupy territory for generations and allow it to thrive in abundance alongside us. Harvesting is one of the many traditions in my culture that serves this relationship we carry on from Salish ancestry.
Would you be able to speak to the length of this collaboration and the community approach with HOST Consulting? And how can this approach be seen as an act of decolonization?
To be able to bring in other Coast Salish voices to support the messaging behind Walk Gently, was one of the most meaningful things I experienced in my journey with Arc’teryx. HOST Consulting was a key resource to me and many teams throughout the stages of branding this collection and connecting that to our communities. Arc’teryx was willing to adapt in their process and learn from us on how to work with our people respectfully. This was an act of decolonization within itself.
Working with a company, that since its creation has been a part of an industry that promotes outdoor tourism, they recognize the space they occupy and gave us the space to be valued in that. I believe this sets a precedent for other companies in the outdoor industry.
Is there is a connection to a dugout/canoe taking years to make and this collection?
As I approached this collaboration and continue the platform, and why I chose this name for it, is to reflect our process. We are walking gently together. This definitely connects to the process of canoe building, the patience and commitment it takes to create something that substantial takes time and dedication. And as it is a sign of respect and thanks in my culture, I raise my hands up to Arc’teryx, and every individual I had the pleasure to work with in creating this, as we all put our love and care in to ensuring we were paying the respect to all this represents for both of our communities.
Weaving and carving are so technical. Can you speak to the process and (if there is) connection to synthetic technical clothing?
All throughout Salish history my people have been technical designers. Using the natural resources around us to build gear that was essential for our survival and ways of life. This was why I chose to display those traditions and mix it with the modern technical design Arc’teryx does. We design with the same purpose, to solve a problem and help those using these materials to be out actively on the land, safe in their environment.
Are there some artists in your community or other arts who you have learned from and/or inspire you who you’d like to mention?
There are many artists in my community and throughout my design journey that helped me on my path to representing Coast Salish design in this industry. In my family my aunts Wendy, Debra and Robyn Sparrow, who were also featured as e-commerce models for Walk Gently, are a major inspiration to me through their work in revitalizing Salish weaving. As well as for my aunt Debra for teaching me this tradition. The blankets were made to honor them and all those weavers that continue this practice on today. Vivian Campbell is an esteemed cedar basket weaver in my community in Musqueam that I am so grateful for teaching me this tradition. As well as many other artists in my community that continue our practices that inspire me through their work.
Outside of my community I’m very grateful for those at the Cutting Room Design Academy in Vancouver, for allowing me to learn with them there about technical design for two years before going to Parsons for Fashion Design. As well as those in New York that helped me in learning the industry and arts outside of my culture. There are so many inspirational and wonderful individuals I’ve had the pleasure to learn from, and as I continue in this journey, I find more every day. Especially those indigenous artists today creating representation for their people and ways of life in their respective industries. In the arts and beyond.
Is there anything you’d like readers to know about you and this collaboration that hasn’t been asked yet?
I hope this collaboration helps people that interact with it and feel they can represent it themselves. Whether Indigenous or not, Walk Gently is a platform for everyone to come together to do just that. To think about our relationships with the land and all the life we share it with and learn from those that have been here before us, on how to live in reciprocity.
In terms of something I would like readers to know about me, is that I’m also learning how to do that. I hope to continue to connect with those in the indigenous community as well as the design community to learn more.
Are there more collections in the works with you or other artists?
I will be continuing with Arc’teryx and collaborating with them to build the Walk Gently platform. I’m very much looking forward to what the future has in store. More importantly, to bring this to other Indigenous communities and creatives that would be willing to collaborate.
What are your thoughts?