Colouring It Forward - Discover Blackfoot Nation Art and Wisdom - Diana Frost

Colouring It Forward - Discover Blackfoot Nation Art and Wisdom is more than a colouring book.

As an artist, I have always been drawn to the beautiful imagery and spirituality of Aboriginal art. As an Algonquin Metis, over time I've wanted to learn more about my roots. I've been searching for a way to both explore more of the wisdom Indigenous people offer and to offer something in return. They have a great deal of ancestral wisdom and I believe we can learn to live in betterharmony with nature and with each other if we open our hearts and minds to understanding andappreciating this knowledge. Indigenous people believe that we are all connected - people, animals, rocks, the earth, water and since we are all related, we should respect one another.

My search for a way to connect with my people and to give back turned into the Colouring It Forward project. Colouring It Forward -- Discover Blackfoot Nation Art and Wisdom is the first in a series of six books that will be published in the near future. Each book will be focused on a different First Nation and its artists and teachings.

For this first book in the series, I've had the privilege of working with Blackfoot Elder Camille Pablo Russell to gather Blackfoot traditional wisdom and with the incredibly talented Blackfoot First Nation artists Kalum Teke Dan and Ryan Jason Allen Willert, all of whom have been very generous and giving of their time.

To honour the gifts I have received through this project, a portion of the proceeds of sales will go to the contributing artists and to any elders sharing their wisdom. A further portion of the proceed will be invested in projects identified, selected and carried out in collaboration with First Nations people. These projects will create opportunities for employment, improve small businesses or lead to higher education.

Thank you - Meegwetch