SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Ecole J.H Sissons will look a little more colourful after the installation of two murals by artist John Rombough.

The two paintings, which depict spring and summer, were created by Rombough, with the assistance of 248 students and 28 staff members from the school.

"My work is contemporary woodland style so it's black supporting lines with vibrant colours. It's very bright. I think I was working with 16 to 18 colours," said Rombough.

That's something the students gravitated to right away. Almost all of them took a part in the murals.

"I did a lot of helping, like I would do like a circle or a rock and they would fill it in," said Rombough. "It was all about the kids."

Rachelle Simmons, principal at J.H. Sissons, agrees.

"They were absolutely enthralled with it. From the preschool children that are four-years old, they just loved the fact that they were able to paint on such a big canvas and the fact that they had a say in what they could do," she said. "So when they saw the process of the work, they said 'Oh well I painted that rock' and 'I painted that eagles eye,' so it's part of them in there, and they just embraced the opportunity to work on it."

The students were involved from the very beginning, discussing what the different seasons meant to them to help inspire Rombough's designs.

"Summer definitely was a lot of camping. Spring was the snow that was melting and the flowers that were starting to come out. The summer was also fishing and that's why John put a canoe in the mural so that the children, their thoughts and words were represented in the mural," said Simmons.

Rombough himself has been painting for more than 20 years. Originally from Sioux Lookout, Ont., he was adopted and moved to Prince Edward Island at the age of three, before relocating to the Northwest Territories as an adult to reconnect with his biological father in Lutsel K'e.

"I came back up to relearn the culture. I was inspired by the Northern lights and the culture itself," said Rombough. "Art is very important overall. It's an expression of colour, an expression of who you are. I really enjoy working with the kids and seeing the expression. And I enjoy it too because I know I was that age and to have someone come in who's been doing it for a while and to just give some time."

Unveiled as part of the school's Aboriginal Day celebrations on June 20, which included traditional games and bannock, the completed paintings were presented to the students after a welcome from Chief Ed Sangris and the Dene Drummers, and a smudge performed by Rombough.

Rombough said his work and the murals are influenced by indigenous culture.

"It's a spiritual mural too, so it has the ancestors watching over us, it has the grandfather rocks all surrounded, and then the people out on the land," he said.

The creation of the pieces also included teachings to explain the symbolism to the students.

"The children were taught about the symbolism of the rocks and the trees and the fire, and the people by the fire, and the land and the water," said Simmons. "Because we're on their land, we're respectful of the fact that it is their land and that regardless of whether we have multiculturalism that is part of our culture being in the North so definitely the children need to learn about it."

Next year, as they begin working on the final two murals, these ideas will be re-introduced to the incoming students.

"I think it's a good teaching for all the students from all cultures. We're all brothers and sisters you know and it's a good teaching of this area too for the kids and the identity of the Dene people, and their way of life. I just think it's really important," said Rombough. "It's important because it's identity of the culture through art and expression of difference. Everything has a story, like we all go through different stories and I feel like every piece that I have has a story."

The murals will be installed on the outside of the building, with the final two murals joining them next year.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.