A Red Dress Project of Their Own

Alyssa Fehr is both an alum of the Werklund School of Education (B Ed ’94) and a current graduate student, studying for her M.Ed. (Interdisciplinary).

Her first few teaching jobs were in schools with many high needs students, where she discovered she had no specific training in how to work with this population. What she did know was that many of the students responded positively to the arts, and that music, poetry and drama seemed to be ways to engage them, as well as to build a sense of community.

Fehr is currently working at Discovering Choices for the Calgary Board of Education, a program offering alternative settings for high school students who need more personalized, individual programming.

One aspect of her job Fehr says she particularly enjoys is the cultural component. “As a non-Indigenous person,” she says, “I have come to rely on Elders and knowledge-keepers to help me implement cultural practices that support our students at school.”

As a Graduation Coach at Discovering Choices, Fehr focuses on First Nations, Metis and Inuit students at the high school level. She says the work can be very challenging because of the number and kinds of trauma that many of these students are facing.

She took the time recently to describe a project in which she played a part—one of which she is particularly proud.

“I grew up in Saskatchewan, and moved to Calgary in 1991 after graduating with a B.A. (Hons) in English from the University of Saskatchewan. Initially I worked as a copy and production editor, but always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I graduated from the University of Calgary in 1994 with a B.Ed.

My first few teaching jobs were in schools with a lot of students from high needs populations; I found myself working with many exceptional learners and youth at-risk, but I had no specific training in how to work with them. As an English, French, music and drama teacher I discovered that many of these students responded positively to the arts. Music, poetry and drama seemed to be ways we could engage with our learning and build a sense of community.

After many years of teaching, I began working at Discovering Choices for the Calgary Board of Education. Our program offers an alternative setting for high school students who need a more personalized setting and individual programming. Almost immediately I realized that I needed further education to work with such a diverse group of students, and I was searching for ways to connect with these students and support their various learning needs.

These realizations led me back to the Werklund School of Education, where I began my studies in the M.Ed. (Interdisciplinary) program in the summer of 2015. I hope to complete my degree in June 2018. I have learned not only about how to help my students, but also about intergenerational trauma and its effects, social justice, and how I can participate in truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Last year I accepted the position of Graduation Coach, a job which focuses on First Nations, Metis and Inuit students at the high school level. Some of my responsibilities include: engaging with families, helping with academic planning, working one-on-one as a teacher in English and Social Studies, and accessing outside agencies and supports. Over the past year, I have been in contact with 33 different organizations as part of my job.

One aspect of my job that I particularly enjoy is the cultural component. As a non-Indigenous person, I have come to rely on Elders and knowledge-keepers to help me implement cultural practices that support our students at school. Some of these practices include smudging, being in circle together, storytelling, sharing meals, attending pow-wows and round dances, and creating art. I have witnessed first-hand the difference that offering these practices can have on students and their families, and I see the value in continuing them. Having our First Nations, Metis and Inuit students' presence be valued and visible in schools has, I hope, offered them a sense of belonging and pride.

Last year a colleague came to me for support with an idea for how to participate in the Red Dress/REDress project, an art installation begun by Metis artist Jaime Black in Manitoba in 2011. Red Dress projects have been done in various communities across Canada, and I had the privilege of participating in a Red Dress project with Dr. Yvonne Poitras-Pratt's class in the summer of 2016. Essentially, the project asks that people take a red dress into a natural environment, attach a tag to it identifying it as part of the project, have it smudged in a tobacco ceremony with an Elder, and then hang it from a tree branch to attract attention from the public. Red is the chosen colour because in many Indigenous cultures, it is the only colour that the spirits can see.

My colleague had been working with a young Aboriginal woman who wanted to know if she could sew a red dress for the project. We decided that we would undertake a Red Dress project, and over the next several weeks the project grew to include five young Aboriginal women (although you did not need to be Aboriginal to participate). My colleague worked on finding fabrics and patterns, and helping the girls sew and display their dresses. We also had a staff member participate by sewing a dress.

My part of the project included organizing the tobacco ceremony, finding an Elder to guide us, learning the proper protocols, and liaising with the CBE Aboriginal Education team leads Kim Younger, Jessie Fiddler-Kiss, and Stephanie Leech. In May, we gathered at Westbrook as a school community with several invited guests from the CBE including our Principal Kris Reinhardt, Assistant Principal Melita Bishop, Tsuut'ina Education Liaison Jennifer Big Plume, Elder Ruby Eaglechild, and School Resource Officer Cst. Martin Courte. We had a short video presentation and explanation of the project, and then the girls led a procession with their dresses to a small circle of trees outside the school. Elder Ruby conducted the ceremony, and it was a truly moving and special moment. We even had a passerby ask if she could join us.

Some of the benefits of this project were tangible and immediate, such as students attending regularly to sew their dresses, and earning high-schools credits. Two of the girls had arrived with no credits, so this was a huge step for them. Other benefits will have long-term effects, such as having built positive relationships with staff, and feeling like they belong at our school. A few students shared stories with my colleague and me that we would likely not have otherwise heard had they not been working on the project.

The students who participated all told me that they had been personally touched by the issue of Murdered and Missing Indigenous women and girls, and that the project had been very meaningful to them. My colleague and I were proud of the work they accomplished, and the dresses have since been displayed at Heritage Park as part of the Quilting Festival in June. Following that, they were on display at the CBE building downtown in a public display space on the main floor. As to where the dresses go next, we’re unsure—they may go into different exhibits, including one that will travel across Canada. In the end, they will be returned to the artists who created them.

Our project has drawn attention from the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Women in Ottawa, and from other educators and schools. This experience has taught me the value of listening to students, working collaboratively with colleagues, and supporting students' goals. If we truly commit to reconciliation, listening to each other is the way forward. For so long, the voices of our Indigenous students have been absent or silent, but if we build spaces where they feel safe expressing themselves, amazing things can happen."