Two students from Lakeview Elementary had their designs chosen for district-wide t-shirts honouring Reconciliation. The designs were revealed during Truth and Reconciliation Week in advance of Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Grade 5 student Paige from the Tal-o-qui-aht Nation, and Grade 7 student Alyssa from the Nisgaa Nation created the selected designs. The invitation went out to students from the Districts Indigenous Education team in the last school year. A group from the team came together, reviewed the submissions and were so captivated by Paiges and Alyssas designs that they chose two.
Rob Smyth, District Principal, Indigenous Education:
Not only are the designs incredible and thoughtful. The words of the students and their intention really moved us. Each student was so powerful in sharing how the whole community works together in Reconciliation to move forward in creating a better future.
The artists words describing the meaning behind their designs are printed on the back of each t-shirt.
Paige:
The Bee represents people beeing willing to be honest. The Bear symbolizes the people affected, showing them to be strong and take care of their families and mental health. The Footprints contain the words family, health, and strength which reminds us of the importance of the bear [for] Indigenous Peoples.
The Bear is working with the Bee to find the honey, which shows how positive community and relationships can happen, just like I hope for in the future for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
Alyssa:
The matriarch in my design represents the families and the mothers in our community. Embracing the child shows the hurt, but also the love and care in our community that will help us move forward. The Nisgaa name that was gifted to me, Nitsiits Lax Yee, it means grandmother, and I see myself in the design. Strength from my ancestors and hope for the future. One heart, one path, one nation.
Indigenous Learning Inquiry Teacher Patricia Buchanan worked with the students and their families to bring this meaningful work forward to the school community and beyond. The students, themselves, were honoured and celebrated at a school assembly for National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
A limited t-shirt production run was shared during Truth and Reconciliation Week. The shirts will be offered district-wide during National Indigenous History Month in June.
The 做窪惇蹋夥厙 School District is honoured to be doing this work on the unceded and ancestral lands of the hnqminm and skwx戔w繳7mesh speaking people. We acknowledge the stewardship of these lands by the 單妢鳥庛域妢聆剞鳥,泭S廎硬x戔w繳7mesh, andsl穩lwta优 Nations.
Posted September 2023