Artist Dustin Lee Edward

When you step into Moose Kerr School, the first thing that strikes you will be the vibrant mural that covers all the walls of the entryway; dog mushers, drum dancers, wolverines, caribou and flying eagles intermingle in a strong composition of on the land life from the Inuvialuit, Gwich’in and Metis cultures. The three pillars with the culture’s names standing together evoke a strong sense of racial harmony. There is a wooden sign engraved with the reminder to honor all cultures and their ancestors. The sixteen-year-old artist behind these drawings is Dustin Lee Edward.

Dustin is a student of Moose Kerr School in Aklavik,and has an unassuming, laid back air about him. He wants to become a working artist, but is humble about his talent. His parents, Gladys and David are good at drawing too. “Everyone in my family are artists,” he said, as if it was completely natural. He was “discovered” by Velma Illisiak, his school principal. “I noticed he was really artistic when he was in grade 5, we asked him to do drawings for the school two years ago, ” she said. The school’s interest in helping students develop beyond academics has forged a new path for Dustin. He might not be the best in academics, but his outstanding ability to observe nature and create art opened up many alternate opportunities.

“ It took two weeks during the summer holidays to draw this mural. Most of these are drawings from my sketches. Velma helped with things I found harder to draw, she did the drawing of the jiggers. She and Chia (another teacher) did the painting.” Surprisingly, Dustin feels shy about filling his drawings with color. “I’m trying to paint, to color in my drawings.” He is working on that, but in the meantime, his experience in art is being enriched.

“ Iwent to Sheep Creek as an Artist in the Park (Parks Canada program). They gave us everything we needed, books, pencils. I drew all the scenery and my family kept all the art that I drew. I’m also working on a logo for one of the pipeline projects.” He also draws about issues like drugs and alcohol overuse. “My mum works in the health department, and she gets me to help her make anti-smoking posters and other projects.”

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Brian Jones, my teacher from art class helps me look up what I want on the Internet so I can draw from it. My teacher, Ann Galloway is also going to take my art to New Foundland. She wants to represent me and also promote my art in Yellowknife. She bought one of my drawings for me, and will be displaying it in the school soon.”

Heis not interested in alcohol or drugs. “I don’t do any of that stuff, school comes first,” he said. “Next year my aunty Wanda from Salts Springs was thinking of taking me there to continue my studies. I am saving up. I worked for a company maintaining houses in the summer in Inuvik. Sometimes I was a mechanic, other days a painter, and sometimes I had to drill in the forest."

"Iuse my imagination and find that usually if I imagine what I have to do, I manage to do it quite well.” We wish you all the best Dustin!