Student art work to become part of Long Point mural

Norfolk County high school students have put the words of truth and reconciliation into action.

Working through the Moccasin Identifier Project, the students have created art that will become part of a large mural on the east side of the observatory building of Long Point Eco Adventures sometime in the spring.

About 120 Grand Erie District School Board students from Simcoe Composite, Delhi District, Valley Heights Secondary and Waterford District schools participated in a Moccasin Identifier workshop the week prior to March break.

Held in Long Point Eco Adventures’ Forestview building, the workshop was organized by the Long Point Biosphere Region.

“We started the day with classes led by people from the Moccasin Identifier project including Tamara Cochrane, Maddison MacDonald who spoke about what it means to be treaty people and what truth and reconciliation truly represents,” Cynthia Brink, the biosphere region’s project manager, said . “Truth and reconciliation is more than just words and a land acknowledgement.

“We need to go deeper to build relations with First Nations because we’re all treaty people and reconciliation is all about building relationships, being friends and neighbours.”

Carolyn King, who created the Moccasin Identifier project to educate people about Indigenous culture and treaty rights, participated in the workshop on two of the days, Brink said.

“We were really fortunate to have her visit,” Brink said. “She is an Order of Canada recipient, a historian and a past chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

“She has an extremely busy schedule and we were thrilled that she chose to visit with the students.”

Later in the day, the students created their own moccasins using a stencil kit created by the Moccasin Identifier project.

The kits feature four distinctive moccasin designs representing four First Nations linguistic groups in Ontario – Cree, Anishinaabe, Seneca and Huron-Wendat. The designs were created by artist Phil Cote and based on moccasins found at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.

Brink said the students also had the opportunity to work with two international artists – Azurite DeLuca and Benjamin Swatez.

“These kids were amazing,” Brink said. “They have beautiful and special talent and I think what made this extra special was the opportunity to work with artists like Azurite and Benjamin.

“They got to meet two artists who have found a way to support themselves through their art and contribute so much to the world.”

DeLuca and Swatez travel the world creating murals of peace that recognize the hardship people, especially children, have endured. The list of organizations they’ve worked with includes UNICEF and non-governmental organizations such as Save the Children and Children of Peace Uganda.

Plans call for DeLuca and Swatez to return to Long Point in the spring. They will be working with two yet-to-be-named Indigenous artists to create the mural using the artwork created by the students.

The project is being supported with funding of $45,000 from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Nature Canada.

“It’s an exciting project and we’re really looking forward to celebrating its completion sometime in the late spring” Brink said. “We’re hoping that a lot of the students will be there for the celebration.”

To learn more about the Moccasin Identifier project visit www.moccasinidentifier.com/contact/ and to learn more about the Long Point Region Biosphere visit www.facebook.com/longpointbiosphere/ .

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