Students draw banknotes honouring Indigenous heroes
Project submitting nominations to be considered for five-dollar bill redesign
In learning about First Nations culture and history in her Grade 7 class, Anya Kroeker discovered Oji-cree artist Jackson Beardy, whose paintings feature the interdependence of humans and nature.
Her interest in his art and desire to see the first Indigenous face on Canadian money encouraged Kroeker to nominate Beardy to be featured on the redesigned five-dollar banknote.
“I saw his art and I really admired it. It looks a little bit confusing but it’s all about his culture, and he painted animals with many different colours with people and birds. It shows how they work together,” said the 12-year-old, showing off her banknote design.
The Grade 7 students at Calgary Academy are each nominating different Indigenous heroes in the hopes that one will be selected by the Bank of Canada as the new face of the five-dollar bill. The idea for the project struck the class’s instructors, Tienneke Calder and Maureen Kelly- Gibson, while they were teaching about First Nations history and ongoing reconciliation.
“The driving question behind our larger project is, what actions can we take to further the spirit and intent of the journey of reconciliation? We were discussing reconciliation and what we can do to further the journey when we came across the invite to all Canadians to design the new five-dollar bill,” said Calder.
“The students decided it was our opportunity to submit some Indigenous heroes to be a face on our money.”
The Bank of Canada’s criteria for the face on the banknote is that the person is a Canadian by birth or naturalization, who’s demonstrated outstanding leadership, achievement or distinction in any field, benefiting the people of Canada or in the service of Canada. As well, the person must have been dead for at least 25 years.
When the $10 banknote was redesigned, a similar call for nominations resulted in the selection of Viola Desmond, a defender of human rights and social justice.
When announcing the call for nominations of the five-dollar bill at the end of January, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau said it was a great opportunity to highlight the many stories of heroes who have helped shape modern Canada.
“I hope this process sparks conversations and encourages us all to learn more about our great country and its remarkable people,” he said.
Soren Oberg is nominating Tom Longboat, an Onondaga athlete and First World War veteran, on his banknote design.
“He fought for peace for Canada and was a war hero. I want him to be chosen so that a First Nations person can finally be on our money,” said Oberg.
Because of his bravery in the First World War and advocacy for Indigenous people, student Brady Gill is nominating Francis Pegahmagabow, one of the most highly decorated Indigenous people in Canada.
Cael Fitzgerald is nominating
Mistahimaskwa, known as Big Bear, a Cree chief in the 1800s who fought socio-economic injustices.
Kelly-gibson said that printing an Indigenous person on the five-dollar banknote could represent a national act of reconciliation.
“Reconciliation is repairing relationships and you can’t build a relationship without an understanding. When students look so deeply into something they can form an opinion themselves,” said Kelly-gibson.
Calder’s students are nominating Indigenous athletes, war heroes, artists and chiefs. The project has been ongoing for two weeks and will be submitted before the deadline on March 11.
“The students have learned there are Canadian heroes who may not be celebrated in everyday life,” said the Grade 7 teacher.
The students decided it was our opportunity to submit some Indigenous heroes to be a face on our money.