Winnipeg Beach School (WBS) students are dedicating this school year to creating a collaborative mural.
In the main hallway is an outline of a turtle that represents the Medicine Wheel and the Seven Sacred Teachings, set against a background depicting the northern lights.
Each grade in the school has focused on one of the Seven Sacred Teachings throughout the year and will contribute to filling in the turtle mural. WBS principal Crystal MacDonald and Indigenous educator Kelly Milne emphasize that one of the school’s goals is an ongoing commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. The staff invited classroom knowledge keepers and sharers to support this goal, ultimately inspiring the turtle mural project. Some knowledge keepers who have participated in the project include Wally Chartrand, Taylor Galvin, and Wally and Melanie Richard. Students have also worked with Milne by reading books written by Indigenous authors and viewing the Turtle Lodge’s Seven Sacred Laws video series. The mural is inspired by Metis artist and Ecole Selkirk Junior High teacher Melissa Bercier Muir’s depiction of the Medicine Wheel and Seven Sacred Teachings. After obtaining permission to use her turtle outline for the project, she provided positive feedback throughout the development of the mural. The Grade 7 and 8 students painted the northern lights on the 8’ x 12’ wall and then outlined the turtle. They included smaller turtles to represent their understanding of Truth. The Grade 1 students expressed their understanding of Courage by creating bears out of pinecones and connecting them with little paw prints they made. The Grade 2 class illustrated their grasp of Respect by crafting a buffalo surrounded by their handprints.
“By the end of the year, each class will have had an opportunity to share their teaching with the rest of the school by adding to the piece,” said MacDonald. “They can choose to represent their teaching in whatever way is most meaningful for them and for the teaching they are working on. The students learn about their teaching, make the art, and add to the mural.”
She added that Truth and Reconciliation is a collaborative journey “where all children feel included”, so they’re ensuring the same is true for the mural.
“We want our students to walk down the hall and see themselves in the mural and know that their efforts are valued by our entire WBS community,” said MacDonald. The focus of the mural is to learn about the Seven Sacred Teachings, to learn why they are important, to use them with each other and to walk in a good way with one another. We learn to be in good relationship with all of Nimaamaa Aki (Mother Earth) through showing Love, Courage, Respect, Honesty, Humility, Wisdom, and Truth.”
