ᐊᐧᐃᔦᑲᒪᐣᐠ ᐅᐡᑲᑎᓯᐃᐧ ᐅᒪᓯᓂᐱᐦᐃᑫ ᒣᒣᑫᐧ ᐊᐱᑕᐊᐧᑭᓯᐠ (ᒪᐧᕑᐃᓱ) ᐅᑭ ᒪᓯᓂᐱᐦᐊᐣ ᓂᑲᓂᐡᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐊᓄᑭᐃᐧᐣ ᒪᓯᓇᑭᓱᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᑲᑭ ᐱᐊᐊᐧᔑᔑᐃᐧᐨ ᐁᑭ ᐅᐣᑎᓇᐣᐠ ᑫᐃᔑᓇᑯᑐᐨ.

 “ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᓂᐣ ᒥᓇ ᓂᑎᐯᐣᒋᑫᐃᐧᐣ ᑲᐊᐣᑕᐃᐧ ᒪᓂᓭᔭᐣᐠ, ᓂᑕᑕ ᑭᓂᐦᑕ ᓂᑲᓂᐡᑲ ᐁᒥᑲᓇᑫᐨ, ᐊᒥᑕᐡ ᐃᐁᐧ ‘ᓂᑲᓂ ᒥᑲᓇᑫᐃᐧᐣ’ ᑲᐃᔑᓂᑲᑕᒪᐣ,” ᐃᑭᑐ ᒣᒣᑫᐧ, 16.

 “ᓂᑭᒋᓀᐣᑕᒥᐦᐃᑯᐣ ᐅᐁᐧ ᒪᓯᓂᐱᐦᐃᑲᐣ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᑕᐡ ᑲᔦ ᒪᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᑭᒋᓀᐣᑕᑲᐧᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐃᐧ ᐊᐊᐧᔑᔕᐠ ᒋᑭ ᑭᑫᐣᑕᒧᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᑕᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᑎᓯᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᒥᓇ ᑲᔭᐡ ᑲᑭ ᐱᑐᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ. ᓂᒥᓀᐧᐣᑕᐣ ᑲᐃᐧᐣᒋᑫᒪᑲᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᐃᔑ ᐱᒋᓂᐡᑲᐊᐧᐨ ᓂᑲᐣ.”

 ᐃᐁᐧ ᒪᓯᓂᐱᐦᐃᑲᐣ, ᐯᔑᑯᑎᐸᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᒣᒣᑫᐧ ᐁᑭ ᐱᒥᐦᑐᐨ ᒋᑭᔑᑐᐨ, ᐃᒪ ᐯᐸᓄᐣᐠ ᓂᐡᑕᑦ ᐅᑭᔑ ᒪᓯᓂᐱᐦᐊᐣ, ᐁᑲᐧᐸᐣ ᐃᒪ ᒪᒪᐣᑕᐊᐧᐱᑯᓯᐣᐠ ᐅᑭᔑ ᐊᐦᑐᐣ.

Weagamow First Nation youth artist Memekwe Apetawakeesic (Morrisseau) drew the Niigaanshkawin project’s logo based on a childhood memory.

“When me and my family go woodcutting, my dad is often the first one to make a trail, so that’s what ‘Breaking Trail’ is for me,” explained Memekwe, 16.

“I’m proud of this logo, and I think it’s important that First Nation children learn about their own culture and traditions. I like the way that it represents how Anishinabe people are moving forward.”

The image, which took Memekwe about an hour to complete, was sketched on paper, then digitalized on her iPad.