Timmins artist helps young people find their voice

A Timmins artist of Indigenous and Scottish heritage is looking to engage local youth in artwork and the sharing of traditional teachings.

Justice Sutherland has been holding an art workshop series at the local youth wellness hub. Sutherland said art can encourage youth to express themselves and affect change in their community.

Once a shy artist with little knowledge of her Indigenous heritage, Sutherland said her goal now is to share her passion and Mushkego-Cree culture with local youth.

She’s been doing that at the Timmins youth wellness hub for about three weeks.

“We’ve been doing a lot of painting, a lot of stamp-making,” Sutherland said.

“We’re doing a bunch of creative ideas and outlets to get one nice, big piece done. And we’re doing it on the Seven Grandfather Teachings and making sure that we’re stopping on each lesson and learning the teaching.”

Her favourite grandfather teaching, she said, is the beaver, which is wisdom, “because a lot of people want to be wise.”

Justice Sutherland has been holding an art workshop series at the Timmins youth wellness hub. Sutherland said art can encourage youth to express themselves and affect change in their community. (Photo from video)

“But it’s about the building. He’s about that resilience of going out every day and rebuilding your shelter every day, and going out and building those skills and then sharing those skills. He’s the builder of the community and that’s what it means to be wise, is to be able to share in skills and build up other people.”

Sutherland said they need to develop young people’s skills so they want to give back to their community.

Builds confidence

“And the more that we can give them skills, the more that will see Timmins flourish,” she said.

“All it is, is that initial step of confidence to get that artwork out there, and people want more art, we need more artists. Artwork is something that can bring that warmth into the home, to get that passion, that voice out.”

Sutherland said art allows people to share their views of the world.

“And it’s something that anyone can really do,” she said.

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“It’s about finding that passion in this city and really flourishing it and trying to build those skills up with as many youth as possible, so they can feel the confidence to share their artwork with the community.”

Sutherland wants to engage as many youth as possible and empower them to make their voices heard.