Artist in Residence Dana Belcourt joined the Grade 2 and Grade 5 French classes for an enriching art activity to accompany their study of Métis people and culture. Together they explored the Medicine Wheel, which plays an important role in many Indigenous cultures in Canada.
Each of the four cardinal directions is associated with an animal: the courageous bear of the west, the humble wolf to the north, the respectful bison to the south, and the loving eagle of the east.
Ms. Belcourt provided beautiful sketches for each animal as examples and set the students off with some great drawing advice, “Start with the largest feature first, like the body shape, and then add the fine details later, like the face and surface texture.” She also provided one-on-one support as the students created their own drawings.
These lessons were perfect primers for learning with V’Nai Dansi, the Métis dance troupe, who introduced the students to their culture through an exploration of music, dance and history.
