ŠXʷƏXʷAʔƏS Thunderbird

Primary Students

with Artist Tami Murray

Intermediate Students

with Artist Red Buffalo Nova Weipert

I’ve had the privilege of continuing a storytelling and art-making journey with the students at John Henderson and ŠXʷƏXʷAʔƏS Thunderbird Elementary. This year, we continued to explore how stories guide us through life, particularly during challenging times. For children aged 5–10, stories are more than just words; they are the foundation of how they understand who they are and who they can become.

Each child carries their own story, a personal narrative that grows alongside them. Sometimes, their inner voice—the narrator of their journey—can get stuck in the tough parts of their story, focusing on fears or setbacks. These feelings are natural, as humans are wired to notice challenges to stay safe. However, we can teach children to shift their perspective.

Instead of seeing themselves as passive characters in their stories, they can become the heroes. Heroes face difficulties too, but what makes them remarkable is how they respond—growing stronger, making choices, and overcoming obstacles. By changing how they tell their stories, children can focus on their resilience, courage, and hope, transforming hardships into opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

During our six-week sessions, we explored inner dialogue, discussed tools for navigating challenges, and brainstormed ideas for art pieces reflecting these themes. Student’s wrote a story about inner strength, planned their artwork, and learned how to create relief images by adding and removing clay on tiles. Through practice with plasticine clay, they translated two-dimensional ideas into forms with depth and shape. Guided by the "4 S's" of clay attachment, students problem-solved when their creations didn’t go as planned, using the very tools they had discussed for overcoming challenges.

To conclude our sessions, students displayed bravery and generosity by sharing their stories and artwork with the divisions. I was deeply inspired by their courage in discussing how they find inner strength during tough times. These heartfelt discussions and their beautifully crafted clay tiles brought the Henderson community’s resilience and creativity to life.

The inspiration behind this year’s artist residency came from the name of the school itself; Thunderbird. The thunderbirds are considered the protectors of the Anishinaabe and as Ojibwe people, we invite them in to help heal us through the power of ceremony and stories. “Thunderbird’s Story” weaves together the art of storytelling while combining moving images, sound, and traditional hoop making practices.

Throughout the weeks, students were introduced to a couple of integral Ojibwe stories (The Anishinaabe Creation Story and Nanaboozhoo Dances) and worked in groups to create their favourite animals and a story that would accompany their animal. Through various art making workshops, students learned about Indigenous pedagogical approaches - such as learning from the land, using natural materials and non-linear approaches, while also learning some practical filmmaking techniques. The last day of the residency culminated into a Potlatch-esque collective screening of all their short films featuring their animal sculptures and stories.