Our Apologies
Aug 27, 2020
In January of 2018, we published a post to our website and social media about a partnership with local artist Steve Gerow. This write up was not shared with the artist prior to being posted. In the write up, it was incorrectly stated that Steve Gerow is an upcoming Indigenous artist and that students were learning about Woodland Art through his visit. This was not accurate. Steve Gerow has never claimed indigeneity or to be a teacher of the Woodland Art form. He is passionate about the power of art and providing people with space to find their own creativity from within. Steve shares techniques he has crafted over the years which make up his own unique style, one that has been inspired by events in his own life and the beauty of Northwestern Ontario. We are grateful for our continued partnership with Steve Gerow and The Creative Studio for providing valuable learning experiences for our students.
We believe that through our mistakes, there is opportunity to learn. We offer our sincere apology for mistakenly misrepresenting Steve and his art in our post. We recognize that this Indigenous misrepresentation is harmful to Indigenous artists, our students, and our community. Lakehead Public Schools is committed to moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation. We continue to work with members of our Aboriginal Education Advisory Committee and community partners to offer meaningful and authentic experiences for students to learn about and from First Nations, Métis and Inuit histories, cultures, and perspectives
