Colouring It Forward is more than a colouring book. Through a series of books and calendars about different nations, it creates a forum to tell the other side of the story about Canada’s Indigenous people — one of hope and of a different future. It’s also a gathering place for people to share their own stories and their art, and to build a community.
Colouring It Forward
As you colour one of Colouring It Forward’s books or read the calendar, you will get a chance to discover authentic Indigenous artwork, read stories and legends passed down for millennia and learn more about our wonderful Indigenous peoples’ spirituality and values. You will also be supporting artists and elders who receive royalties from sales as well as donating to Indigenous projects led by Indigenous people. We invite you to join our community and share your experience. Together we can continue learning about each other and appreciating and supporting each other. This is an important step towards reconciliation.
More About The ProjectsWatch Video about Colouring It Forward
Upcoming Event
Cree book launch
Date: 16 Jun 2018
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: Wild Rose United Church, 1317 1 St NW, Calgary
The Cree colouring book is almost done! We hope you will come to celebrate the launch of the Cree Nation Art & Wisdom Colouring Book on June 16th at the Making It Right – Relations Art Festival. The artists and elder from the book will be there to tell you their stories. There will also be participative arts and crafts as well as performances.
Cost: Free
Here is an example of a page spread in the Discover Northern Dene Nation Art & Wisdom colouring book. Each piece of artwork is accompanied by the artist’s meaning behind the work, a story from the Elder or a combination of both. You can also meditate through writing your own thoughts or stories below the Elder’s piece.
Community
Colouring It Forward invites you to join our community of artists, elders and people who want to participate in creating a better future for all of us. This community is meant to be a positive place to share artwork, teachings and stories, a place to heal and to grow, to preserve our beautiful culture and support our artisans.
Christiana Latham
Gwich’in Nation Artist
Christiana Latham is a multidisciplinary artist of Northern Native and British decent. She obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Multimedia Arts and Design Technologies in 2015 and is currently taking printmaking as a minor at The Alberta College of Art and Design. Christiana has exhibited her work in various galleries, and her films have been shown in film festivals worldwide. One of her most recent achievements was the acceptance of her latest film into GAMA (Gallery of Alberta Media Arts) at the Epcor Centre in Calgary in 2016.
George Blondin
Dene Nation Elder
The late George Blondin was a Dene Elder born in 1923 in the Northwest Territories. A prolific writer, he was also a wilderness guide, a miner, a trapper, Vice President of the Dene Nation, and in 1989 was elected Chairman of the Denendah Elder’s Council. He was also the author of three books including When the World was New and Yamoria, the Lawmaker and his last publication: Trail of the Spirit: The Mysteries of Medicine Power Revealed.
Blackfoot Nation
The Blackfoot (or Blackfeet in the United States), are one of the three nations that make up the Blackfoot Confederacy. As of 2016, the Siksika count approximately 7,320 registered members, many of whom live on reserves in Alberta.
Learn MoreJoin The Conversation
Colouring It Forward is a gathering place for all of us – please share your art, your journaling and your stories of hope and dreams for better future on my Facebook and Instagram pages.
Diana Frost
The Inspiration behind Colouring It Forward
Greetings to all my relations.
As an artist, I have always been drawn to the beautiful imagery and spirituality of Indigenous art. As an Algonquin Métis, over time I’ve wanted to learn more about my roots. I’ve been searching for a way to both explore more of the wisdom Indigenous people offer and to offer something in return.
My search for a way to connect with my people and to give back turned into the Colouring It Forward project. Each book will be focused on a different Nation and its artists and teachings. To honour the gifts I have received through this project, a portion of the proceeds of sales will go to the contributing artists and to any elders sharing their wisdom, and to Indigenous community projects.
