Jet Robertson, a Grade 4 student at Maple Ridge’s Environmental School, won a provincial poster contest.
The theme of the contest was “Traditional Knowledge and Medicine.”
Robertson’s poster shows two people standing in nature surrounded by trees, grass, flowers, and a large clock.
Robertson accompanied his poster with a caption that reads: Everything has a LIFE. Everything is needed. The trees help us breathe, the animals keep us company and sometimes provide us with food. Rain and water doesn’t only help us to live, but also helps all the plants to live.
“In the middle is a big clock to symbolize time going by and life aging,” Robertson explained.
The poster took four days to complete, and Robertson is proud of his award because it leaves a good impression of Maple Ridge.
The environmental theme of his poster is an issue Robertson wants to bring awareness to.
Natalie Robertson, Jet’s mother, said their family participates in community plant walks and celebrates cultural events with the Golden Ears Métis Society and Métis Nation B.C.
The FORED B.C. poster contest is an annual celebration of cultural and heritage traditions of B.C.’s aboriginal people as part of FORED’s Aboriginal Heritage, Education and Dialogue (AHEAD) program.
FORED is a society that provides sustainability education to B.C. schools and communities.
“Preserving this aboriginal traditional knowledge that is passed on from elders to youth is vital,” said Victor Godin, FORED’s educational director.
”FORED BC is proud to be supporting this knowledge preservation as a cultural legacy.”
Entries were received from across B.C. and six people were chosen for awards.