Project of Heart- Northern Studies Arts Initiative

Students in Northern Studies will participate in an art project designed to commemorate the lives of Aboriginal children who did not return home from residential schools. This art project will take the school's total population and divide it in half, to determine how many tiles will be created and displayed by students (to symbolize how about 50% of children who went to residential schools did not return home). This art project is intended to bring visual awareness about the statistics of children who died as a result of residential school, along with commemorate the families impacted by these experiences in Gameti, and beyond, through beautiful messages, using the medium of painting. In addition to this immediate class project, students are planning on inviting the community of Gameti to an after school event to encourage further participation in this project. Students are expecting to hold an open art Project of Heart night, where community members can come in and paint a tile themselves, to add to our collection.

Update (December 13, 2014)

JWGS students from Northern Studies 10, completed their Project of Heart tiles at the end of November. Each student was assigned to design two tiles of their own. This project was an outlet for students to voice their feelings and emotions towards knowledge/experiences learned in class about the legacy of residential school. The messages behind these tiles, focus on healing and reconciliation, along with honouring the lives of native students, who did not return home from Canadian residential schools.

Update (May 3, 2015)

Upon completing their "Project of Heart" tiles, students of NAC20 wrote a reflection about the meaning behind their tile and what message they hoped to pass on to others about residential school. Alternatively, some student reflections touched upon what they wanted to convey to those students who never came home, and in memory of those who did not survive.

Student work has been showcased throughout the school year within Jean Wetrade Gameti School. This year's Northern Studies' Project of Heart currently resides in a special corner, in one of our classrooms.

Update (May 4, 2015)

JWGS has additionally used the art supplies we purchased with our funding, to continue a different project of the heart. This past April, JWGS students used art materials to create anti-bullying and acceptance messages, which were displayed during the week of International Day of Pink.