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.
Donna Langhorne
Anishinaabe Nation Artist
A member of Fishing Lake First Nation and lifelong resident of Air Ronge, Saskatchewan, Donna Rose Langhorne is the mother of three children between the ages of 5 and 10 years. She is 28 years old and has been working in Northern Saskatchewan as a self-taught professional artist since 2010.
Dominique (T8aminik) Rankin
Anishinaabe Nation Elder
Grandfather T8aminik (this is how Dominique is written in Algonquin) was born on James Bay Territory (north-west of Quebec), in a family that had succeeded in preserving their ancestors nomadic way of life. At the age of 7, T8aminik was designated to take over from his father as hereditary chief. Traditionally, the role of a leader must necessarily be accompanied by that of a medicine man. Therefore, since childhood, he followed a long path of teachings and initiations from elders from his own community, and from various guides recognized over Canada, including William Commanda, to whom he was the right hand man for years. In 2006, Grandfather T8aminik became a fully recognized elder by his peers. His true birth name is Kapiteotak (which means “Whose crying is heard from afar”), and he now dedicates himself to the role to which he has been chosen: teacher and spiritual leader.
Anishinaabe Nation
The Anishinaabe people are part of the Algonquian family. They include the Ojibwa/Chippewa, the Odawa and the Algonquin people that live in the Great Lakes region.
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.
