Staff
The Northwest Catholic District School Board is set to bring back the “Faceless Doll” project first introduced to St. Francis School students here last November by the Métis Nation of Ontario.
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit co-ordinator Michelle Tymkin, along with Catholicity co-ordinator Amy LaFroy, will make a presentation about the project to trustees at their regular monthly meeting tonight.
“This is a commemorative art project that allows students to use their creativity to honour and remember more than 1,200 missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls in Canada,” notes a report to the board.
“Each doll represents the story of a woman or girl who is loved and missed by her family,” it adds.
“The act of making the dolls aids us to remember how important every girl and woman is.”
The report explains that participants learn that when they don’t put a face on the doll, it represents every woman or girl who has ever gone missing or been harmed.
“Participants are told that when we put all of our ‘Faceless Dolls’ together, we are giving back the voices to all of these women and girls so they will never be forgotten,” it notes.
The report adds the dolls are pinned on a blanket to be displayed in schools, parishes, and communities.
Last year’s “Faceless Doll” project saw the completed blanket become part of the Dec. 6 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Due to the positive impact and response, Tymkin and LaFroy presented the project to students at Sacred Heart School in Sioux Lookout back in March.
It also was presented to Catholic educators from across the province at “When Faith Meets Pedagogy” Catholic Curriculum Corporation Conference last month.
The pair are aiming to present the “Faceless Doll” project to the four remaining schools within the board.
Also at tonight’s meeting, trustees will:
•discuss supporting the Fort Frances Multi-use/Tennis Court committee in its efforts to build tennis courts here;
•look to approve the audit committee 2014-15 Annual Report to the Minister;
•look to approve the appointment of Lorraine Gauthier Stromberg to the Special Education Advisory Committee commencing Dec. 1; and
•hear a report on the feasibility of a Catholic high school in Fort Frances.
The meeting gets underway at 6 p.m. via teleconference at the Fort Frances board office (located next to St. Francis School).
