A Medicine Wheel mural created by Mistawasis students and artist Kris Moffatt last year. (submitted photo/Denise Desjardins)

By Alison Sandstrom

Exploring identity

Mistawasis school among local art grant recipients

Feb 3, 2020 | 5:24 PM

A high school 45 minutes west of P.A. is getting $10,000 to fund a collaborative art project.

Mistawasis Nêhiyawak High School was one of several local grant recipients announced by the Saskatchewan Arts Board on Monday.

Students in Grade 10 to 12 will work with painter Kris Moffatt and elders to explore what being Nêhiyawak (Cree) means to them.

“A lot of it is we’re learning it again,” teacher Denise Desjardins told paNOW. “Having the elder in there doing some teachings, we’re going to be learning parts of our culture and language as we go, which I think is huge because many of them don’t really know that part yet, so it’s a whole process [and] it’s all built in.”

The final product will be a large canvas based on each of the students’ interpretations of how they view themselves as Nêhiyawak in their community.

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Other students will create a documentary about the process.

“Because some aren’t really wanting to do the painting part, but they still want to be involved,” Desjardins said. She added the school recently got new cameras which have been a huge hit with students.

The plan is to have the painting completed by May and hold a large community gathering to showcase the artwork and explain its meaning. After that it will be hung in the school.

Four recipients in the P.A. region

Meanwhile, Prince Albert artist Leah Dorion received a $7,500 grant to design and create 13 moon shawls for an existing show that features the 13 moon teachings.

Other local recipients are the Rock My Gypsy Soul Music festival in downtown P.A. and the County at the Creek Music Fest in Big River, which were awarded $7,000 and $2,000 respectively.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom