Minosis Gathers Hope (by Christine Sokaymoh Frederick) is about a young Métis girl spending the summer with her Mosom and Kukom (cree for grandfather and grandmother). She learns lessons about the four directions and the medicine wheel which help her overcome her apprehension about being apart from her mother.
A significant priority for the director Matthew Mackenzie and designer T. Erin Gruber was to include children in this process in a meaningful way- especially engaging with Alberta Métis communities. The artistic team was blessed to have leadership visa-vis Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts and Doreen Cardinal agreed to organize and lead workshops on the Medicine Wheel.
Erin designed a colour based drawing exercise that accompanied Doreen's teachings. Each direction has a colour which helps ground it's wisdom- through exploration of their five senses and discussion with Doreen, Erin and their peers the students explored each colour from their own experience and every image in the show uses elements of these drawings composed to compliment the experience that the character Minosis ‘gathers’ from each of the four directions.
A big thank you to the over 100 students and intergenerational community members from the following schools and facilities who contributed to this wonderful project:
Ben Calf Robe Elementary School
Ermineskin Jr High School
Amiscwaciy Academy
Saddle Lake Boys and Girls Club
Edith Rogers School
We couldn't have done it without you!
