Animals

Domestic and wild animals were a part of everyday life for the students. They often sketched outdoors in their environment and were encouraged to watch and listen in order to learn. A young wild deer that the students fed and nicknamed Buck was a permanent fixture at the schoolhouse. Francis Baptiste's (Sis-hu-lk) image of a Canada goose in flight was chosen as a print to be used on greeting cards by a non-Native group of local people who supported the work at Inkameep School. The flying goose is a favourite image and appears in many of Baptiste's drawings.

Edith Kruger's (Sin-nam-hit-quh) painting of a horse is typical of her drawings. With expressive eyes and long, curling lashes, the horses in her work look more "human" than those of some of her male classmates.

Conflict between humans and animals was also a reality of life in the Okanagan. Bears appear in many of the boys' drawings. The image of a bear by Edith Kruger (Sin nam hit quh) is unusual. When girls showed action in their drawings, they usually pictured children playing games in a contemporary setting with contemporary clothing. "Action drawings" were more typical of the boys. These were usually set in the past, with figures in traditional Okanagan dress engaged in exciting or dangerous acts.

The students' understanding of the ecosystem of the Okanagan valley is apparent in their work. In a drawing of local wild animals and birds, the animals move in an orderly line and there is a sense of harmony and stability in the image. The animals shown are (top to bottom): elk, bear, deer, mountain goat, bear, coyote, bighorn sheep, badger, heron, skunk, squirrel, mountain lion, swallow, chipmunk, goose, mouse.

Jane Stelkia speaks about the inspiration for the drawings
Play Video Clip