Ryan Jason Allen Willert (left) and Blue Quill Cardinal, recently completed a mural at St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School which spans four walls near the school's entrance. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

cultural awareness and healing

Blackfoot and Cree artists finish new mural at St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School

Jun 7, 2019 | 3:48 PM

A local Blackfoot artist has once again left his mark in Red Deer, this time inside St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School.

Ryan Jason Allen Willert has shared many hours with students there recently, delivering traditional teachings ahead of the completion of a mural in the front foyer.

Willert has become known for his Indigenous art around Red Deer, most recently unveiling a mural at St. Francis of Assisi Middle School, and previously downtown on the outsides of Turning Point and the Central Alberta Realtors Association.

There’s more to come, he says.

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“It’s a huge honour, it really is,” admits Willert. “When I first started, the first mural I ever did was at Mt. Royal University in Calgary, and that was such a big deal. I’ve done so many murals since then.”

The 35-year-old’s work is also in numerous Calgary grade schools, and made up part of an Indigenous adult colouring book published in 2016.

At St. Thomas, where Willert has depicted a traditional headdress, the buffalo, the courage circle and cross, as well as the four elements, he enlisted the help of grade six student Blue Quill Cardinal, who he adds should get equal billing for the piece.

“I don’t really know that much about other kinds of cultures, besides my own. It was pretty cool to see how other nations do it. I’m Cree and Ryan is Blackfoot, so we share the same kind of religion,” said Cardinal, who has dabbled in painting prior to this experience.

“It was really fun to see how little jobs can get so much done, like painting the undercoating of the white layer to the yellow. It’s cool to see how it all comes together, and then you step back and see what you’ve done.”

Willert, who also goes by his traditional name Heavy Shield, believes the most important part of his art is that it’s helping people to be more culturally aware, and aiding them in healing.

“At one time in my life, when I was young, I lived on the streets here in Red Deer. I was homeless at 16 and I lived on the streets until I was about 19,” he recalls.

“For someone to be homeless in their teen life and be down and out about being Native, to being someone who’s going into the schools and helping people with their own trauma and ability to love themselves, I’ve learned to love myself, and it shows drastically.”