A painting that depicts an Indigenous coming-of-age story has been gifted to Longview School by Okotoks artist Paul Rasporich.
The painting, First Feather, was presented to the school during its Orange Shirt Day ceremony in September.
Painted by Rasporich in 2004, the artwork shows a young person grasping an eagle and plucking off one of the bird’s tail feathers.
The painter learned from Indigenous elders that capturing eagles was a rite-of-passage for youth, Rasporich said in a statement posted to the Foothills School Division website.
A young person would hide in a pit on a large hill and lash meat onto branches to be used as eagle bait, he said.
As soon as an eagle took the bait, the person would grab the eagle and pluck a tail feather before releasing the bird.
“It was an act of bravery and a rite of passage.”
The painting has been waiting for the right home and had been stored in the artist’s basement for the past 19 years.
“The Longview Hill likely was used for eagle captures,” he said.
During the presentation, Rasporich was joined by Lane Bearspaw, who explained to students what is happening in the painting.
Rasporich recently retired from teaching and spent most of his career with the Foothills School Division
Following the ceremony, Rasporich said he saw an eagle circling the school.
"I am happy that my painting has landed in the right home,” he said.
