The youths who participated in the Summer Youth Program at the Grand Portage Community Center created a beautiful exhibit reflecting the wisdom of elders—the Seven Grandfather Teachings. The children used bold colors and vivid images of nature—birch and pine trees, cat tails, fish, and birds, including the sacred eagle. By the happy expressions on these young men’s faces at the exhibit opening, they also had a lot of fun.
The Grand Portage Community Center has always been a warm and welcoming place with the sign out front declaring— Gakina mamawi idimin, we gather here—but it has become even more so with the hanging of murals created by the children who took part in the 2014 Summer Youth Program.
The beautiful and colorful canvasses—taller than most of the children who worked on them— now grace the Community Center walls to share the Seven Grandfather Teachings— Love, Respect, Wisdom, Truth, Courage, Humility and Honesty.
The artwork was facilitated by art therapist
Belle Janicek, who worked with the children over the summer to design their ideas on paper and then transfer and paint images onto canvas.
A reception was held on Friday, October 10 and kids, parents and community members gathered to see the artwork on display. Anyone who missed the celebration is encouraged to take a look at the exhibit when they next visit the Community Center.
The mural project was funded by the Center of American Indian and Minority Health, University of Minnesota Indians into Medicine Community-Based Science Activities grant program (CSBA). Grand Portage Summer Camp was funded by CSBA, the North Shore Collaborative, and the Cook County Community Fund.
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