« Pass The Feather To Me! A Classroom Art Exchange Program is creating exciting friendships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth, teachers and artists using visual culture to transcend logistic and financial barriers. We are creating co-operative and respectful interrelations for future generations.

While initiating creativity and re-visiting traditional Aboriginal teachings, the program aims to:
– Create friendships that exceed logistic and financial barriers
– Encourage healing and mitigate inter-generational trauma
– Create equality amongst Canada’s youth
– Develop informed opinions on matters relating to the culture of Aboriginal peoples and cultures
– Employ Aboriginal artists
– Include Aboriginal Elders
– Develop artistic skills
– Develop letter writing skills
– Show respect and reciprocation to our Elders and their teachings.

Art is our most powerful tool of expression in Aboriginal culture. Through visual culture Indigenous students, teachers and artists are more willing to reach out and re-conciliate with their non-Aboriginal peers and colleagues. It is empowering and important to the co-operative future of our nation.

Program Description:
– On reserve students in grades 5-8 are matched with their peers in a predominantly non-Aboriginal, multi-cultural, public school classroom
– They write autobiographical letters of introduction and mail them to their peers
– Students are presented a lesson plan based on Aboriginal culture
– Students create an art collaboration based on the subject matter and mail it to their peers
– Their peers receive the same lesson plan. Unpack the art collaboration and discuss
– Their peers create their own art project based on what they’ve learned about Aboriginal culture and mail it to their new friends on reserve
– Depending on educators, they may choose to continue with a Pen Pal program for keen students

Within the first three months of existence, our Classroom Art & Knowledge Exchange has accomplished:
– Inter-cultural Friendship: over 130 students have exchanged introductory / biographical letters
– Registration: Over 20 educators have registered, 6 have been accepted (due to finances)
– Global Recognition: Inquiries have been received from Maori and Mayan communities
– Art & Cultural Education: Art activity has been presented (rattle making) to students with cultural teaching
– Integration: Non-Aboriginal educators have transparent lesson plans to present to their students
– Employed Aboriginal Artists
– Provided Art Supplies to remote First Nations classroom
– Aboriginal Education: Aboriginal educators and students have been brought closer to traditional teachings through lesson plans, subject matter and artist visit. »

For more information about Pass the Feather to Me!, visit http://passthefeathertome.org/classroom-art-exchange-program/ or contact Dawn Setford at contact@passthefeather.org to learn how you can help support this project.

Posted with permission from Dawn Setford
Read Aboriginal Arts Collective of Canada | Pass The Feather’s profile on ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map