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“ Project of Heart ” Brings
Hope , Humility , and Healing to SUNTEP
Submitted by Christina Johns SUNTEP Faculty
Photo Credit : Christina Johns
Armed with Sharpie markers , small wooden tiles , a legacy to honour , and the “ heart ” to make a difference , SUNTEP Regina students went to work to preserve and reclaim the memory of the many Métis and First Nations children who attended and lost their lives in residential schools . All SUNTEP students participated in the artistic social justice project entitled Project of Heart over the past 2 semesters .
Project Coordinator Sylvia Smith , a high school teacher from Ottawa , describes Project of Heart ( P . O . H .) as a “ hands-on , collaborative , inter-generational , inter-institutional artistic endeavour . Its purpose is to commemorate the lives of the thousands of
Indigenous children who died as a result of the residential school experience .” After learning about the truths of Indian residential schools in Social Studies class , Sylvia Smith ’ s students wanted to do more to bring greater public awareness to the large number of deaths that had occurred in residential schools across Canada . Along with their teacher ’ s help , they developed a social justice project that is now growing in recognition and has recently been awarded the Govenor General ’ s Award for Excellence in Teaching .
A key objective of P . O . H . is to encourage “ ownership ” of this historic injustice by the non- Indigenous community . By doing so , non-Aboriginal Canadians can then be moved to take responsibility for the continued oppression of Indigenous people in Canada , and be inspired to take action . Smith also explains that the project “ commemorates the families and communities to whom those children belonged . It is designed to bring awareness both to the settler community of predominantly European Canadians and communities of new Canadians from other parts of the world .” Many students of all ages , all across Canada have been involved in the project , by decorating tiles , doing research , visiting with Elders and becoming more aware of the effects of residential schools on generations of Indigenous people .
Project of Heart also seeks to expand the opportunities
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