Grade 10 student Daniel Young with his winning design for the eagle feather art project. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

reconciliation

Student-designed eagle feather becomes symbol of change at Hunting Hills

Apr 16, 2024 | 9:22 AM

A student-designed eagle feather has become the symbol of change at Hunting Hills High School.

The symbol is a result of an art project participated in by 1,500 students at the school, and will have a lasting impact on how the population there thinks about reconciliation.

Last fall, as part of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, students were given lessons on how significant the eagle feather is to Indigenous cultures. All students then had the chance to design a paper eagle feather; how they designed it, be it with crayon, marker, paint, or digitally, depended on the class they were in.

One design, by grade ten student Daniel Young, was chosen to be printed with the slogan ‘Be the Change,’ which is being used on a line of clothing. The clothing is being offered at cost, so it is a zero-profit endeavour and simply an act of reconciliation, the division explains.

The project was facilitated by Debbie Streight, First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) Support Worker.

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“As part of those discussions, we asked the students to design whatever was in their heart,” said Streight. “We had some of the most amazing designs — our students took it to the next level. We had some beautiful watercolour prints, west coast designs, some of the students drew eagles, bears, red handprints, Medicine Wheels and some even had Cree language on them. Our students are so thoughtful and talented and the eagle feather designs were extremely heartfelt. It made me so proud.”

Many classes and individuals also visited a tipi on the school’s field, belonging to teacher Heather Steele, and participated in tipi teachings, smudge.

Finished eagle feathers were displayed around the school.

Then in October, the feathers were burned in a sacred fire pit inside the tipi.

“The significance of burning the feathers is to pray for the people who were taken to residential schools and who did not come home, as well as for the trauma it caused others,” added Streight. “It was really impactful not only for our students, but for our staff as well.”

Young’s design includes trees, inspired by simply walking outside, and a Medicine Wheel inside the sun.

To snag some of the clothing, visit the webstore here.

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