"Meet Mr. Coyote"
A small booklet of ten Aboriginal legends/stories illustrated by Aboriginal students of Noel Stewart at St. George's Indian Residential School in Lytton, B.C. that was published by the British Columbia Indian Arts and Welfare Society in 1941. The legends are from the Thompson Tribe near Lytton, B.C. It is unknown who the storyteller and recorder were in the original transcription of these legends.
Noel Stewart
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/1/R19); an application for a non-exclusive copyright license has been submitted to the Copyright Board of Canada.
The British Columbia Indian Arts and Welfare Society; J. Parker Buckle Printing Co., Ltd.
1941
"An Indian Nativity Play"
A play written by Anthony Walsh that is based on a previously published Nativity Tale written by Aboriginal students at the Inkameep Indian Day School in the Okanagan Valley, B.C. in 1941.
Anthony Walsh
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
1941
Noel Stewart to Alice Ravenhill (Dec.15, 1940)
The artistic abilities of boys in St. George's Indian Residential School in Lytton, B.C.
First correspondence between Noel Stewart and Alice Ravenhill. Mention made of the latter's students' propensity for art and especially illustrating the legends of their people (Thompson Tribe). Mr. Stewart asks for a report from Mrs. Ravenhill of the British Columbia Indian Arts and Crafts Welfare Society.
Noel Stewart
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
Dec.15, 1940
Emily Leavens to Alice Ravenhill (Jun.12, 1941)
Emily Leavens writing to Alice Ravenhill to commiserate on the difficulties both have encountered in trying to forward Aboriginal rights in a hostile cultural environment. The former makes reference to - and expands upon - a poem (not available) that she sent to Alice that the latter found obscure.
Emily Leavens
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
June 12, 1941
Noel Stewart to Alice Ravenhill (Dec.21, 1940)
Noel Stewart writing Alice Ravenhill to share more news of his work at St. George's, including having sent off a booklet of about 35 stories written and illustrated by his students to an American publisher and having prepared an "Indian School Primer with all Indian illustrations" that is being held by his superiors due to lack of funds and interest, it being during WWII. He also mentions several aspects of different stories involving the Animal People and Mr. Coyote, as well as how most of the other teachers and administrators at St. George's are not supportive of his art-based education initiatives.
Noel Stewart
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
Dec.21, 1940
Noel Stewart to Alice Ravenhill (Dec.29, 1940)
Noel Stewart's efforts to promote and publish his student's visual and written at St. George's Indian Residential School.
Noel Stewart writing to Alice Ravenhill to update her further on more efforts he has taken to publish his student's written and visual artwork in venues like the Family Herald and Vancouver Province. He wonders briefly how he would react were his and his students' roles reversed and he as a student at St. George's instead of a teacher.
Noel Stewart
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
Dec.29, 1940
Alice Ravenhill to Noel Stewart (Dec.18, 1940)
Art education; tribal-specific residential school materials
Alice Ravenhill describes to Noel Stewart her proposed project of preparing tribe-specific Charts for use in Residential schools, which would show students "the line of former achievements by their own Tribes." She also makes reference to a handbook of 160 illustrations that she is attempting to get published. She mentions "The Tale of Nativity" produced by students in Anthony Walsh's classroom at Inkameep Day School and expresses interest in publishing "a collection of tribal legends," urging Stewart to send her further details of his art-based educational practices at St. George's.
Alice Ravenhill
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
Dec.18, 1940
Alice Ravenhill to Noel Stewart (Jan.3, 1941)
Tourism; profits; publishing
Alice Ravenhill refers to a wooden carving made by Noel Stewart's students of "Mr. Coyote taking his Sunday Service" as a potential model for a type of Aboriginal souvenir that could be produced by the children in Residential schools and sold in shops in cities like Victoria. Further, she expresses explicit interest in building on the success of "The Tale of Nativity" by publishing a small booklet of Aboriginal tales, also to be prepared and illustrated by Mr. Stewart's students, which could be sold in a similar manner to her proposed figurines. The later pages of the letter are missing.
Alice Ravenhill
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
Jan.3, 1941
Noel Stewart to Alice Ravenhill (Jan.7, 1941)
Noel Stewart replies affirmatively to Alice Ravenhill's request for him to send the BCIACWS a copy of the booklet of Indian legends he and his students at St. George's prepared and illustrated. He assures her that they are not expecting payment for their work and thanks her for her efforts in helping to facilitate the creativity of his students.
Noel Stewart
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
Jan.7, 1941
Noel Stewart to Alice Ravenhill (Jan.16, 1941)
Noel Stewart sends 16 illustrations and their accompanying stories to Alice Ravenhill for the BCIACWS to review. He expresses his frustration with American publishers for discouraging stories with religious content, but thinks that those regarding the Animal People will sell well in Canada as a little booklet. Also, he brings to her attention the Kamloops Indian Residential school and its 300 students, as a possible venue for further support and arts-based initiatives.
Noel Stewart
Royal BC Museum, BC Archives (F/I/R19)
Jan.16, 1941