Other Peoples

Anthony Walsh followed the public school curriculum rather than the program of study used at residential schools operated by religious orders. However, as a practising Catholic, Walsh did teach aspects of Christianity and Catholicism, which the children incorporated into their understanding of Okanagan identity and spirituality. They also studied cultural ceremonies and artistic traditions from other parts of the world. For example, in Edith Kruger's (Sin-nam-hit-quh) drawing of Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, the Nk'Mip schoolhouse appears in the background. In reality the local cemetery was not in front of the school, but it may appear there in her drawing because many Mexican celebrations of that day take place at the cemetery where relatives are buried.

In his teaching practice Walsh looked for ways to link the children's understanding of their own culture to indigenous traditions in other places. They studied and worked on designs from the Native peoples of the southwestern United States, among others. Walsh himself travelled to the southwest to study after he left Inkameep and worked through the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture Anthropology Lab at Santa Fe for approximately one year.

Chief Clarence Louie speaks about the non-native community response to the story and the future of the art collection
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Government control of the school
Involvement of the church