Indigenous art and music promote healing and wellness

Sudbury school board examines how art contributes to Indigenous identity, well-being and healing
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As part of its efforts to encourage and ensure equity, respect and inclusion in its school communities, the Nouvelon Catholic School Board, in collaboration with its parent involvement committee, has launched the production of a series of four videos.
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This project aims to raise awareness among the school communities of the board and to better appreciate the different cultures that surround them, and more particularly the cultures of the First Nations, the Métis and the Inuit.
In addition, these videos will offer a brief overview of the impact of colonization on certain forms of artistic expression. This initiative, made possible through funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education, is supported by Parents, Partners in Education.
Through the sharing of guest testimonials, school communities across the school board will discover elements of the history and evolution of the art forms of beadwork, music and dance. Viewers will also discover how each of them contributes to the identity, well-being and healing of Indigenous communities.
The first video launched in April featured beadwork, while a video released on May 31 discussed the history and evolution of Indigenous music. Richard Meilleur, Janique Labelle and Mimi O’Bonsawin, three Indigenous artists from Northern Ontario, shared their journey and explained how music and their culture have impacted their lives, their well-being and their identity.
The four videos, hosted by Mimi O’Bonsawin, Franco-Ontarian and Abenaki musician and former student of Collège Notre-Dame (Sudbury), will offer an overview of the various First Nations, Métis and Inuit cultural activities experienced by certain CSC Nouvelon students.
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These activities nurture a sense of inclusion, respect and appreciation for our diverse communities. Each of the videos will invite families and the community to engage in wellness and healing activity.
Always recognizing that a person’s well-being is linked to their sense of belonging, their identity, their pride, their family and their community, as well as their spirit of being human, school communities will be invited to view these videos with a bothers.
The videos are accessible via the CSC Nouvelon Facebook page or YouTube channel.
The video release schedule
Dance: June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day
Jingle dancing and Métis jig will be in the spotlight. The women’s jingle dance is directly related to healing and protecting the health of family members.
Orange Shirt Day: September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
The final video will honor missing children and residential school survivors, their families and communities. The meaning of Orange Shirt Day and National Day of Truth and Reconciliation will be included. September 30 aims to promote reconciliation efforts with Indigenous peoples.
Twitter: @SudburyStar