Northern Quebec Cree man shares and teaches cultural art in France

Tim Whiskeychan, a Cree artist from Waskaganish, Que., flew to France this month to teach Cree culture through art with French students.

Whiskeychan brought his talents to Collège Josette et Maurice Audin in Vitry-sur-Seine, France, to share Cree culture with a group of 30 middle school students during a one-day workshop on March 18. 

"It's like a vast exchange of people and exchange of knowledge," said Whiskeychan, who has been making art for over 40 years. 

The opportunity came to him through a mutual friend, who introduced him to a teacher at the school. 

"I was asked to come and to teach art and to come and share some of our culture and then have an exchange with the teachers and students," said Whiskeychan. 

After months of corresponding through emails and phone calls, the school flew him across the ocean to meet with the youth.

First, Whiskeychan demonstrated how he makes murals and helped students make their own based on research projects they did on Indigenous artifacts. Then, he worked with them to create a large group mural that will be displayed in the school.

"I did some murals based on traditional items, artifacts or then I would explain a little bit about them and what's the use of some items and why it's important," said Whiskeychan.

For Whiskeychan, art serves as both a means of expression and a way to document history with imagery and storytelling.

"I was surprised they would see things beyond my expectation. And one girl made a bear with the fish and the other one was a bear and a moose," said Whiskeychan.

The students used the mural workshop to combine Cree culture with French culture, according to Whiskeychan.

For the group mural, Whiskeychan prepared a large canvas with outlined sections for the students to fill in with colours. In the centre of the mural, he painted a tipi surrounded by animals and the face of an Indigenous man.

"[They] kind of got their own culture to intertwine with native culture because all the lines were connected. I think it looks like a territory," said Whiskeychan.

As the students worked, Whiskeychan shared stories of his late father Jimmy who was renowned for crafted goose decoys with tamarack, which they used on hunting trips. Inspired by his father, he began to draw and paint snowshoes, animals, among other traditional items.

"And I said, wow, I guess that storytelling really kind of opened their mind," said Whiskeychan.

After the workshop, some of the teachers signed a postcard to thank Whiskeychan for his work.

"'Your presence was a true source of inspiration for the students, giving them the opportunity to discover the history of your people and the richness of your art," read a line in the postcard. 

When asked how the students felt about their day with Whiskeychan they all had the same response.

"C'est chouette [it's cool]," said Whiskeychan.