The Ontario holiday of Family Day on February 17, 2025 takes place during the Bear Moon, a time for storytelling, introspection and reflection. The blanket of snow that covers Mother Earth during this time is a gentle reminder to rest, recharge, and stay close to family and community.
This Family Day, ONWA is sharing the Indinawemaaganidog “All of my relatives” colouring book with our membership with the hopes that the book will foster togetherness and inspire families to be creative and share knowledge and stories from their own communities.
The book features art created by ONWA, as well as from 8 different Indigenous artists in Ontario:
Angela Jason – Wazisons Art (various platforms @starbeamwomanart @wazisonarts)
Clarity Smoke
Danielle Robinson (Instagram @waabigwangiiziskwe)
Jessica Bell – Moon and Meadow (Instagram @MoonandMeadowPottery)
Jessica Mamakeesick (Robinson) - Mamakeesick Roots (FB @Mamakeesick Roots Instagram @mamakeesick_roots)
Jordan Beardy – Heartberry Moon Art (FB @Heartberry Moon Art Instagram @heartberrymoonart)
Jordan Quequish
Tina Gardner – Colour Creations by Tina
ONWA has made 5 pages from this exclusive colouring book publicly available for communities to download and print below. Please feel free to print and colour these pages with your family!
Jordan Beardy, or Piitaanahkwan “storm clouds coming this way”, has roots to Sachigo Lake and Muskrat Dam. Jordan grew up watching his father paint beautiful art and now he holds the gift of art himself. Every piece of art he creates is signed in the syllabics of his spirit name. Jordan loves to use bright colours, try new techniques, and uses inspiration from his Indigenous heritage, pop culture references, and his daily life. Check out more of his work on Instagram @heartberrymoonart or Facebook Heartberry Moon Art.
Aanii/Háŋ, my name is Clarity Smoke. I am Anishinaabe/Oyate from Birdtail Sioux. I grew up learning various forms of art through my family, from beading to singing. Watching my family create was my biggest motivation to learn the mediums I did. My experiences are put into the pieces I make as I utilize art as a form of storytelling, being a key part of my culture. The style I use takes inspiration from a mixture of woodland and Dakota art.
Boozhoo, my name is Tina Gardner. I am a member of Eagle Lake First Nation, who resides in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In 2019, I started to paint on natural pieces of wood and since then have moved on to painting on canvas. I am an Ojibway artist who specializes in Woodland Art. My passion is to bring out vibrant colours to canvases. Many of my paintings share tradition and have special meaning.
My name is Jordan Quequish and I am North Caribou Lake FN Band member of treaty 9 residing in Thunder Bay. I am a language speaker and am dedicated to sharing our language and culture with our People. I learned Woodland art at a young age and was told to always remember the teachings from the Elders and the land when creating art.
Boozhoo, Waabigwan Giizis Kwe Ndizhinikaaz, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Ndoonjii, Waabishki Ndoodem. Hello, my name is Danielle Robinson, my spirit name is Sunflower Women, I am Anishnaabe Kwe from the unseeded territory of
Biigtigong Nishnaabeg. I have been an aspiring artist my whole life, always beading, sewing, drawing and doodling and into my adult years painting and digital work. I share my work to spread awareness, educate, and show how beautiful my culture is.
Watch ONWA’s social media pages to learn about future opportunities to win one of these outstanding books.
Miigwech, Hiy hiy, Masi chok, Ish nish, Hoy chexw, Kinahnaskomihtin, Nakurmik, Marsii, Wela’lin, Ato’n:wa, Ya wan ko, Nia:wen, Nya;weh, Merci, Thank you.
For more information about ONWA membership, visit the link here: https://www.onwa.ca/membership