Seven children with seven unique backgrounds and seven unique backpacks will be teaching other children about understanding each other – without necessarily saying a word.
Shilo, Jane, Amolak, Bernadette, Haruko, Carlos and Celeste are puppets who can help children learn about each other and about cultures different from their own.
A Backpack Kids Celebration was held at the Splatsin Teaching Centre in Enderby recently, where the seven Backpack Kids puppets and their unique school bus were unveiled.
The packed room witnessing the celebration learned that the project emerged from the North Okanagan table of Aboriginal Early Childhood Educators, when racial tension was noticed at early childhood centres.
Rosalind Williams of the Splatsin centre then proposed the Backpack Kids as an innovative way to plant seeds of curiosity rather than animosity in young children.
She and puppet designer Cathy Stubington of Runaway Moon Theatre developed the curriculum, a project that was three years in the making.
“One little seed and it grew and it grew and it grew,” explained Williams.
In a journey not unlike a treasure hunt, the audience learned about each puppet – their ancestry, their background, their parents and, perhaps most importantly, what they each carry in their backpacks.
Helping reveal the treasures inside were a number of audience volunteers, including School District #83 board chair Bobbi Johnson and Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo.
Also attending were a number of area politicians including Sicamous Mayor Terry Rysz.
Rosalind Williams spoke about the rationale for the project before describing Shilo, a puppet with First Nations background.
“Lots of times I think problems escalate when we don’t know enough about each other.”
Williams explained that puppet Shilo’s ancestors are her ancestors.
“We have been on this part of the land for a very long time… His ancestors and my ancestors have always been right in this place… He brings to share the things he learned from the land.”
She said his story dates to a time when there were only animal people in the valley.
His music came from the land, his dance he learned from the birds and deer, his clothing came from the deer.
Like the other puppets, Shilo wears a wooden locket on a ribbon around his neck, the ribbon the same colour as his backpack. Inside the locket is a picture of each of his parents.
Williams explained that when a child identifies as a First Nations person, he is questioned.
“We wanted to show in today’s time, we, and all nationalities, don’t necessarily look like our ancestors.”
Cathy Stubington spoke about the background of the other puppets: Jane, whose family comes from northern Europe and England; Haruko, whose mother is Japanese and her father of Ukrainian heritage; Carlos, with Filipino background; Amolak, whose family came from northern India; Bernadette, a Metis with Red River Cree heritage; and Celeste, whose father came from an island in the Caribbean and her mother from Canada.
The different backgrounds were chosen because they are representative of the children who were attending centres in Vernon and on the Enderby and Okanagan Indian reserves. Three sets of puppets were made, one for each centre.
Rather than making assumption about cultures, Stubington explained that consultants were engaged who guided the way cultures were portrayed by the puppets. They were instrumental in designing the items prepared for the backpacks.
The volunteers at the celebration took turns showing the audience the puppets’ unique items.
Each backpack contained a different lunch, as well as several other items important to their culture such as musical instruments, special shoes, books, toys, dress-up clothing and special treasures.
When the presentations were over, the accolades were many and heartfelt.
Sicamous mayor Rysz said one of the most important things in life is building relationships amongst ourselves – with families and neighbours.
“That’s what communities are all about. What a wonderful way to present this.”
MLA Greg Kyllo also expressed his appreciation, and Bobbi Johnson said she would like to see the puppets and their curriculum spread throughout the school district.
“I know I would like to have this in our schools. It would be an honour to have it there.”
The celebration ended, appropriately, with the guests present being treated to a meal of the varous foods the puppets and their families like to eat.