The image me and Emily chose to interpret is called: “Assimilation vs Inclusivity.” Children are sat down to take what appears to be a school picture indicating that this could be from the time of residential schools. The view is from above and is reminiscent of a school picture, so it’s most likely supposed to be from the time of residential schools. Most of the children are dressed in grey clothing which gives a bleak, and depressing look. Not only this but by all the children being dressed the same, they were being stripped of their individuality and freedom, and they were all meant to look, act, and dress the same. Additionally, their faces are grey because they are losing the light and happiness on their face. On the other hand, there is a select group of children who are dressed in colourful traditional clothing. The gaze of the children dressed in grey clothing is very sad, whereas the children who are dressed in their traditional clothing are delighted and smiling because they get to practice their culture and express themselves. In summary, the theme of this artwork is to show how Indigenous communities had to assimilate into Canadian culture and essentially forget who they were. The artist is trying to encourage and celebrate diversity and inclusivity at a time when it was discouraged. One of the great things about Canada is that it is a melting pot of people from many different cultures and at the time the Canadian government was trying to erase their cultures and force them to all look and act white. This image makes me sad because it shows how Indigenous people are slowly losing their culture due to assimilation and colonization.