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100 Mile Elementary pays heart-felt tribute to 215 children

Students create a heart from 325 feathers to honour those found buried at residential school
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The students of 100 Mile Elementary School combined 325 uniquely coloured paper feathers together to create a heart in memory of the victims of residential schools. (Patrick Davies photo - 100 Mile Free Press)

100 Mile Elementary students put their heart into honouring the 215 children found buried at the site of the Kamloops Indian Residental School.

A giant colourful heart made of paper feathers can be found at the entranceway to the school. The idea originated in Margo Shaw’s Grade 5/6 class as a way to remember the children. Shaw said the students had seen murals and art projects other schools had done and wanted to put their own spin on it.

Fortuitously, SD27 was doing an art contest last month where students had several designs to choose from to colour. One of them was paper feathers, which Shaw multi-purposed for their project. Before long the entire school, not just her class, was taking part.

“The idea sort of sprouted up to use those feathers and have all the kids colour a feather to put together for a mural in recognition of the events,” Shaw said. “It was sort of an entryway for the teachers to very gently talk about (the residential schools) and honour National Indigenous People’s Day.”

The students coloured 325 feathers for the mural. Initially, Shaw had wanted to use only 215 but decided not to exclude anyone who took part as that didn’t feel right.

Shaw and her students arranged the feathers into a giant heart, with her class’ feathers ringing the outside, and posted it on a corkboard in the school’s entrance. She said you can stare at the heart for a long time and find all the unique designs students used to bring their feathers to life.

“It was really special to see how much care and attention all the kids put to the feathers. The kids and I, in my class, began the heart and it became so big I had to take it home to finish it because we didn’t have any surfaces big enough to put it together.”

She said the heart has created a lot of interest in the school community. Children were searching for their feathers and seemed very proud of how it all came together.

While it may have been made in response to this summer’s findings, Shaw said the school intends to use it next year during the school’s Orange Shirt Day event.



Patrick Davies

About the Author: Patrick Davies

An avid lover of theatre, media, and the arts in all its forms, I've enjoyed building my professional reputation in 100 Mile House.
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