By Neil Corbett – Maple Ridge News
A Metis carver is making the rounds through high schools in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, building the traditional vehicle of his people, and sharing with students what he knows about both native history and woodworking.
Patrick Calihou has been at Pitt Meadows secondary, building a Red River cart, and soon he is moving on to Westview.
“We are always looking for ways to bring some cultural understanding into the schools,” said Ron Lanzarotta, the district principal of aboriginal education.
Ten schools had totem carving projects in recent years, and button blankets provided more cultural activities.
Now the goal is to have Calihou visit every high school in the district and build one of the historic carts there, between now and the end of June.
The carts will stay behind, and in Pitt Meadows it will go in the library and be used to display first nations books and materials.
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