Installing Artwork

Installing Indigenous Artwork

The purpose of installing Indigenous artwork in Chinook's Edge buildings is to acknowledge and celebrate our Indigenous families and their history.

“Tanisi” (which is Cree for Hello!)

The First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) students of École Deer Meadow collaborated with school staff to create the welcoming artwork that now adorns the entry-way of many Chinook's Edge Schools. We are sharing the following background information that explains the artwork:

Staff believe it is important that all families and students feel welcome in our building and community. In that spirit, the FNMI students worked together to research the symbols of their peoples, and selected the following to represent them: the tipi, buffalo, eagle, inukshuk, spirit whale, Red River cart, Métis Nation flag, bear, native medicine wheel and canoe.

These symbols were then given to our talented art teacher, Mrs. Janice Gallant.

The painting was created in a circle to represent the medicine wheel and the cycles of life, time, and nature.

The east represents morning, spring, and birth. There is an image of the prairies and the First Nations people who lived there. This is where the buffalo are represented standing on the edge of a cliff with the eagle flying above.

The south represents mid-day, summer, and mid-life. There are images representing the Métis people with their Red River cart and infinity symbol. The wolf stands looking out to the south.

The West represents late afternoon, autumn, and the later years of life. There is the medicine man laying a prayer bundle on the medicine wheel, the mountains of the west, and a grizzly bear watching over.

The north represents evening, winter, and final elder years of life. There is the inukshuk and spirit whale in the beauty of the northern environment.

Our artwork was blessed by Elder Louis Soop of the Blackfoot Nation and is displayed with great pride. The blessed baby eagle feathers represent new beginnings and were gifted to our school by our Métis Cultural Teacher, Pam Lashmore.

Ah dah mah tsee yoop (Blackfoot for We’ll See You Again)