Sash projects weave together school spirit and Métis culture

Métis artist Casandra Woolever brings a portable floor loom to Manitoba schools to guide students in designing community sashes; she has shown more than 1,000 students and has 17 visits scheduled in February.

Casandra Woolever, a Métis artist behind Métis Branded in Winnipeg, has been taking a portable floor loom to schools to lead sash-making projects. She asks students to choose up to five colours that reflect their community values and helps them add lines or patterns to make a sash. Woolever has shown more than 1,000 students her collection and has 17 school visits scheduled in February. The lessons include information on historical uses of the sash and contemporary Métis stories. Key facts: - Woolever travels with a floor loom she sets up on site; the loom weighs about 70 pounds. - Before visits, teachers have students reflect on community values and pick up to five colours for a sash. - Students contribute design elements such as lines, patterns or arrowheads to personalise each sash. - Sources in the article note sashes historically served practical roles, including bandaging wounds, marking family identity, and providing support for voyageurs at work. - At Transcona's St. Joseph the Worker School, staff plan to frame the community-made sash and display it as a conversation starter about Indigenous culture and reconciliation. Summary: The sash projects combine hands-on craft with cultural education to give students a tangible link to Métis history and local school identity. The work has reached many students already and will proceed with the scheduled visits in February.