Elmira student paints mural in high school's hallway to honour Indigenous culture, late father
CBC
Maggie E. New, admittedly, doesn't like painting very much.
When the Grade 12 student in Elmira, Ont., was commissioned to create a painted mural reflecting their Indigenous background, New said they didn't think much about it.
They didn't even realize they'd be paid for their time and talent.
But the mural is now on the walls of Elmira District Secondary School (EDSS) in an area students refer to as the English wing.
For years, the hallways has been decorated with quotes and painted photos of famous literary figures throughout the centuries.
Grade 11 students Harrison Hartwick and Connor Cheng led the charge on scouting New for the mural. They were both enrolled in the school's Indigenous studies class, a course offered to students as an English credit.
Part of their passion project for the sclass was to find a local Indigenous artist who would be able to create a piece of art that hangs over the classroom door.
"Students come in, they can see the mural on the door and there's like, a taste of what Indigenous culture is. It really builds the community," Cheng said.
Previously, the door was decorated with an older mural of William Shakespeare — not bad, the students said, but also not reflective of what actually happens behind the classroom door.
"We wanted something that matched the vibe of the inside and what the course was a little bit more. It's a very bright and colourful classroom in there and it's a very bright and colourful course," Hartwick said. "[The new mural] fits more than just a black and white quote above the door."
The piece symbolizes what teacher Karen Myers said is a move toward recognizing local Indigenous talent and giving their work due credit.
Myers teaches the Indigenous course exclusively at EDSS now and said it's been a "once in a career opportunity."
"It's been eye-opening, enlightening, inspiring. I have never felt better as a person working in the system … to learn from Indigenous voices and perspectives," she said.
Maggie E. New was born in Stratford, Ont., but their late father was a member of Long Point First Nation in Winneway, Que.
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