The start of Aboriginal Awareness Week brings something truly super for some Calgary elementary students. It’s the chance to see their faces on some superhero action figures.
Students at The Niitsitapi Aboriginal Learning Centre spent the past few weeks creating the figures and laying the foundation for their project by hearing about traditions from elders.
“I’m cool!” Eight-year-old Lukas said, after seeing a computer model of what his figure would look like.
The activities were coordinated by Levi First Charger, a community outreach support worker with the Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth.
“It’s good to be a superhero,” First Charger said to students. “Because superheroes inspire people to do good things in the community and do good deeds for others.”
Seven-year-old student Tiwah agreed with Charger by saying, “Some people don’t really feel that they’re worth anything and they notice they can be their own hero.”
The students drew pictures of their own characters, with names like Dark Spire, Sailor Moon and Skull Crush.
After a photographer took shots of their faces, the images were scanned and combined with their drawings to create 3D action figures.
“You look like Wonder Woman,” the children said to classmate Kaitlin, an 8-year-old girl who is looking forward to being a real-life superhero.
“You can help people that really need help” Kaitlin said.
With a little imagination, Tiwah said she can see them using their powers as a force for good.
“You would be flying in the sky,” Tiwah said “All of us would be a team. The superhero team!”