I’ve had a terrific few days in Fort McMurray meeting, meeting, meeting people! I arrived on Aboriginal Day and spent the afternoon with my co-workers and friends, Anastasia and Shelley, at Heritage Park where we ate bannock and fried fish and watched the children, adults and elders gather in community to celebrate. That evening there was more celebration when we were welcomed to the Mentorship program’s year-end celebration. A cooperative program, it’s spearheaded by Julia McDougall, a public school teacher and amazing woman. Thirty-nine aboriginal children gathered for 35 weeks this year in mixed age groupings to explore the art, stories, and music of the aboriginals from the Fort McMurray area.
On Tuesday, we had THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. In an amazing move of brilliance, the provincial government has funded an arts-education organization 1.3 million dollars over three years to bring the arts into Aboriginal student’s lives during the school days, after school programs and potentially weekend community programs. It’s the first time in the history of Learning Through the Arts that a justice department has undertaken such a vision-forward approach to the reduction of crime in the community and the increasing of safety. It’s a thrill to be involved in a program that will support Fort McMurray artists and Fort McMurray students.
Tuesday evening was a celebration in Fort McKay of an amazing principal who is moving on to work with the Northlands School Division.
We met on Wednesday with Alice Marten our coordinator on the ground and a lovely woman. We’ve been in meetings, too, with artists who are interested in working in the schools. An amazing turn of events for the end of the school year!
If you’d like to know more about this program or Learning Through the Arts generally, you can contact me.
