Two new paintings will be on display outside Smithers Secondary School for the 2026/27 school year, honouring two elders.
It is part of the Honouring Our Elder’s project which started in 2005 through the Indigenous Education Council.
Selected this year were Sue Alfred from the Tsayu clan, and Henry Kempanaar.
“There’s always such a variety of elders that would be great to be honoured in this way, but for our capacity, we only chose one from each category,” said Art Teacher and Coordinator Perry Rath.
One Indigenous and one non-indigenous elder is selected every two years each having a portrait painted by a current student at the high school.
Marley Andrews was the artist who painted Alfred’s portrait, with Avery Sosnowski creating Kempanaar’s.
“It’s now a well established project in our school and community and so they certainly were nervous about what it meant,” said Rath.
He added both were honoured to be selected for the project with previous artists on the project having a similar reaction.
Alfred’s name was put forward for her work teaching Wet’suwet’en culture and language, and with the 1997 Delgamuukw court case.
Kempanaar was selected partly for his connection to the Alfred family, but also his support and kindness in the community.
The portraits were unveiled on June 16 during an event at the high school.
In January, the project was awarded the 2025 BC Reconciliation Award by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.
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