How are artists using their voices to draw attention to MMIWG2S+?
In a Grade 12 visual art project, learners engaged with the challenging topic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people through reading Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
Anticipating the project’s emotional weight, the teacher informed families about the focus of the class and invited parents, guardians, and extended family members to participate, and worked to create a strong sense of belonging and trust in the class. Prior to reading the report, the teacher invited an Elder to ground the learners in a deeper understanding of the Circle of Courage to develop a better understanding of wellness and balance. They discussed how exploring the topic of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people could serve to help the learners understand the issues and harness their voices in allyship.
Additionally, to set group norms and provide learners with discussion skills and knowledge, the school guidance counsellor/social worker was invited to the classroom to talk about trauma-informed practices. (For details, see additional information below).
With compassion and guidelines in place, learners began to explore the topic more deeply. They used a KWL structure to assess their prior knowledge and formulate research questions, such as “What factors contribute to this issue?” and “What defines genocide?”
To deepen the class’s understanding, they viewed a news video on the national inquiry’s findings and then examined sections of Reclaiming Power and Place. The teacher provided simplified excerpts, allowing learners to choose topics such as “Pathways that Maintain Colonial Violence” or “Women Are the Heart of Their Communities” to summarize for their peers.
Following this, the teacher led a discussion on allyship and responsibility through the lens of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.
To further an understanding of how the learners might use art to communicate their ideas, they studied artworks from the MAWA Resilience Project, including local artist Jaime Black and the REDress Project. They explored the cultural significance of the colour red and analyzed its symbolism as well as recurring motifs, such as the red hand representing missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
Portraiture and self-portraiture were discussed as ways for artists to express themselves.
In pairs, learners shared artworks and artists they had found that addressed the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
Building on their research, they developed detailed plans for their own projects aimed at raising awareness, illustrating their perceived roles as Canadians, sharing their feelings about the issue, sharing what they learned, or fostering dialogue. After outlining their sketches and concepts in idea journals, they shared their ideas with the teacher and their peers, and the teacher completed an assessment.
Once their sketches and concepts were outlined in their idea journals, they shared their ideas and reflections in small groups with the teacher. The class then decided whether to proceed with creating their own artworks or to curate a red dress display for the May 5 National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People.
Supporting a Trauma-Informed Approach: In topics as sensitive as this one, it was important to ensure the learners’ comfort and well-being were at the forefront and that learners were assured they would have the option to work at their own comfort level. Depending on the class, more or less depth might be necessary for this work. The social worker could discuss the importance of acknowledging that the topic could be traumatic for some and provided the learners with different strategies and supports should it be triggering for them. Learners could be invited to journal about the topic in a way that worked for them (through writing, voice to text, art, etc.) and reflect on how they were feeling about the topic and what types of support they might need or want. They could be given the option to privately share their reflections with the teacher or social worker before studying the report. The class could also co-construct norms for discussing sensitive topics with attention to the need to be aware of their own and other’s feelings and providing ways to demonstrate compassion and support for each other.
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning. “Four Guiding Questions and Balanced Well-Being.” Mamàhtawisiwin: The Wonder We Are Born With—An Indigenous Education Policy, 2022, p. 16.
MAWA. Resilience: 50 Indigenous Art Cards and Teaching Guide. Accessed 21 Oct. 2024.
National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Vol. 1a.
