Genevieve Soler and Kayla Dallyn recipients of the 2019 Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching. Credit courtesy Genevieve Soler and Kayla Dallyn
Two teachers at Exshaw School are among nine Canadian educators to receive the Governor General’s History Award for Excellence in Teaching for their work connecting Indigenous students with their family histories through art.
Kayla Dallyn and Genevieve Soler used sculpture, recordings and visits with local elders to teach Grade 4 students from Stoney Nakoda First Nation about their past.
Their Heroes Project — chosen from 25 finalists — was inspired by sculptor Christine Wignall’s 100 Heads exhibit at the Whyte Museum in Banff that included a bust of Stoney Nakoda Chief Walking Buffalo, among others.
Students worked with Wignall to create a sculpture of a chosen family member.
“This project provided students with a unique opportunity to connect community, culture, and curriculum,” Dallyn said in a statement. “By engaging in authentic Truth and Reconciliation work they developed a deeper sense of pride and identity.”
Grade four student, Mia Chiniquay, who attends Exshaw School, Stoney Nakoda holds a picture of her relative who she choose as her hero as part of the Heroes Project led by grade 4 teacher Kaylin Dallyn and Success Teacher Genevieve Soler. She created the sculpture from the photo. Students were joined by a group of nine grandparents from the community. Supplied/Kayla Dallyn
Gr 4 student Trace Soldier, who attends Exshaw School, Stoney Nakoda works on his hero sculpture as part of the Heroes Project led by grade 4 teacher Kaylin Dallyn and Success Teacher Genevieve Soler. Students were joined by a group of nine grandparents from the community. Supplied/ Kayla Dallyn
The awards, organized by Canada’s History Society and TD Bank, will be presented Jan. 20 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.
Winners will share a $2,500 prize, with their schools receiving $1,000.
“With this award, we celebrate the extraordinary work of teachers who outdo themselves every day to shape our adults of tomorrow,” Janet Walker, president and CEO of Canada’s History Society, said in a release.
