{"id":33737,"date":"2023-01-18T22:49:45","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T02:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaker.ca\/?p=33737"},"modified":"2023-01-18T22:49:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T02:49:45","slug":"ella-scothorns-naig-2023-medal-design-becomes-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/?p=33737","title":{"rendered":"Ella Scothorn&#8217;s NAIG 2023 medal design becomes reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;169&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;111&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MILLBROOK FIRST NATION:<\/strong> A medal designed by a Hardwood Lands girl will be handed out to more than 3,500 athletes at this summer\u2019s North American Indigenous Games, being hosted in Kjiputuk (Halifax), Dartmouth, and Millbrook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The design by Ella Scothorn, a Grade nine student at Hants East Rural High, was unveiled at a ceremony at Hampton Inn &amp; Suites by Hilton in Millbrook First Nation on Jan. 17. Scothorn did the initial design for the medal when she was in Grade six. Mi\u2019kmaw artist Tayla Fern Paul finalized the medal design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scothorn, looking a bit nervous as she stood in front of a full house in a conference room behind the medals with Fern Paul to her side, explained how her design came about. Her inspiration? An ancient Mi\u2019kmaw petroglyph of a star traveler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She learned about the medal design contest when her Grade six teacher gave her and others in the class a blank template and encouraged them to create a design, and in the end it was hers that stood out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEach person in my class got this piece of paper on it with a medal on it,\u2019 said Scothorn. \u201cWe were told to draw our design inside that we chose. Our teacher was teaching us about the Indigenous culture at the time too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The youngsters design was the winner chosen from among more than 100 design submissions in an open design competition. The medal design competition was run in schools, and the winner was voted on by a Culture Advisory Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG_9479-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33738\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Millbrook First Nation Chief Bob Gloade speaks at the unveiling. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate group=&#8221;2&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;115&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The unveiling event saw the medals paraded in with dancers performing the Ko\u2019jua as it was song by an Indigenous artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organizers said the medals, which will be produced by The Pin People, showcase Mi\u2019kmaq art including a traditional eight-pointed star and highlights the vibrant colours of NAIG 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG_9509-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33740\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dancers perform the Ko&#8217;jua dance. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG_9518-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33741\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Indigenous athletes parade the NAIG 2023 medals in for the ceremony. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The design of the medals incorporate several Mi\u2019kmaq symbols:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An eight-pointed star inspired by Mi\u2019kmaq petroglyphs found in Bedford, N.S. represents the territory where all will gather<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A symbol that represents the world \u201cL\u2019nu.\u201d The term the Mi&#8217;kmaq use to describe themselves as Indigenous people. It means \u201cthe people.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The curved designs are common in Mi\u2019kmaw cultural drawings and etchings and are meant to represent the things that grow and transpire when you follow your dreams.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ribbon features the NAIG 2023 logo and \u201cKjipuktuk,\u201d meaning \u201cGreat Harbour\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG_9532-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33742\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tayla Fern Paul. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Fern Paul said her inspiration was the design that Scothorn did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI came in to fill in some of the details and bring it together,\u201d said Fern Paul to the crowd explaining her part in the medal design. \u201cMy inspiration was Ella\u2019s work design. I am happy I could help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ADVERTISEMENT:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;78&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;190&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What does it mean for Scothorn to see the design become reality?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt makes me feel really proud,\u201d said Scothorn, who said it took her awhile to create the design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG_9497-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33739\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tex Marshall. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>George \u201cTex\u201d Marshall, president of the 2023 NAIG Host Society, said they\u2019re proud to finally unveil the medals that the two artists designed in collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe design truly captures the spirit of the Games and Mi\u2019kma\u2019ki as a whole,\u201d said Marshall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2023 North American Indigenous Games will be held July 15 to 23, 2023. For more information or to see how you can volunteer, check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.naig2023.com\">www.naig2023.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/IMG_9546-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33743\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chief Bob Gloade; Ella; Tayla; and Tex. (Healey photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;84&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;105&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[adrotate banner=&#8221;169&#8243;] [adrotate banner=&#8221;111&#8243;] MILLBROOK FIRST NATION: A medal designed by a Hardwood Lands girl will be handed out to more than 3,500 athletes at this summer\u2019s North American Indigenous Games, being hosted in Kjiputuk (Halifax), Dartmouth, and Millbrook. The design by Ella Scothorn, a Grade nine student at Hants East Rural High, was unveiled [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":33745,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[965,12,957],"tags":[3853,196,4495,50,2004,206,4496,2389,4497],"class_list":["post-33737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-east-hants","category-featured","category-news","tag-2023-north-american-indigenous-games","tag-east-hants","tag-ella-scothorn","tag-halifax","tag-hardwood-lands","tag-herh","tag-kjiputuk","tag-millbrook","tag-naig-2023"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging-z.thelaker.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}