Three ply face masks, featuring authentic Indigenous artwork have been made available to students in the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
School board officials say the face masks are a gift to the Board by Steve Tooshkenig, a member of the Bkejwanong Territory, and Tyson Wesley, owner of Indigenous Face Masks.ca
The Board also purchased some additional masks.
“We are honoured by this generous gift,” stated Deb Crawford, director of education, in a media release.
“Through the artistic images imprinted on them, the masks are beautiful expression of Indigenous culture.”
The masks feature artwork from several Indigenous artists.
They have been distributed to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in elementary schools across the district.
Tooshkenig and Wesley contacted the Board with their offer to make masks available following the Ontario government’s directive earlier this month, which made masks mandatory for students in Grades 1 to 3, school board officials say.
