Family and nature have profoundly influenced RRC Polytech grad Erin Ringland’s artistic journey. Drawing from these inspirations, she partnered with the College to design the 2024 Orange Shirt in support of the Mínwastánikéwin Award and to honour the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, otherwise known as Orange Shirt Day.

Ringland, born and raised in Winnipeg and a member of Kistiganwacheeng (Garden Hill) First Nation, is a Digital Media Design alumna and currently works as a front-end application developer for the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba. Her work in graphic design and layout programming is rooted in her love of art, recreating scenes from nature, and following in the footsteps of many family members.

“I was surrounded by art growing up – whoever’s house I was at, whether it was my parents’, my kookoom’s, my cousins’ – there were always paintings hanging on the walls along with family portraits,” said Ringland.

She credits her auntie Irene Miller for nurturing her passion for drawing at an early age. She spent hours with her auntie, watching her sketch images and providing prompts for what she wanted to see on paper. Miller died in 2003 when Ringland was six years old – the time she spent with her, though, profoundly impacted Ringland, and she continued to draw even after the loss.

“She was the driving force behind my art,” said Ringland. “I always think of her when I draw – in a way, it’s how I keep her with me.”

Ringland’s concept for the shirt was inspired by two things: a story and a painting – and both were inextricably bound to family.

The painting from which she drew inspiration for the style was a piece she saw frequently – a black-and-white painting of a loon family hung in the living room of her kookoom’s house, which she saw every weekend when she visited. The painting was created by her cousin, Stanley Monias, and was gifted to her kookoom – and it was one of many paintings displayed in her living room that was created by artists in the family.

The story, Ringland notes, was one that came out of Maine a few years ago. A game warden had found the body of an eagle floating in a lake and upon further investigation, found that the bird of prey had been killed by a stab wound through the heart – which was unusual, of course. Because eagles are a protected species, the U.S. Wildlife Service was obligated to find out what happened and make sure that if the bird was killed by a person, that the proper procedures were taken to ensure that whoever was responsible would face the necessary consequences (killing an eagle in the U.S. carries with it a fine of $10,000 and a year in prison.) However, the investigation discovered that, along with the cause of death, there had been a nearby nest containing the body of a loon chick. So, it was concluded that the loon parent had acted in defense to protect its nest from the eagle, using its beak to slay the predator.

“The gathering of loons and the lengths they’re willing to go to protect their families is a demonstration of how strong the bond is between parent and child. It’s a testament to the strength of community and family – it’s a statement on how powerful love is, and how that love can protect and heal our families from trauma,” said Ringland.

She says that she was a little apprehensive about this particular inspiration, as eagles are a powerful symbol in many Indigenous cultures. They often represent the Teachings of our ancestors, of our connections to the Sky World – but the story of the loon and its chick was something that resonated with her, and the loon itself also is the subject of some sacred Teachings.

Beyond her design for the orange shirt, Ringland incorporates her creative skills into a lot of the work she does at the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba. As a front-stack developer, she creates websites and layouts using design principles for the best user experience.

Ringland says that her passion has been a life-long learning process – learning to cultivate her talents into marketable skills, while also learning how to find fulfilment in doing what she loves.

She started at RRC Polytech in the Digital Media Design program following a gap year to work after high school, and she says that managing the freedom she had with assignments could be challenging at times, especially with managing her mental health. When she struggled, she found it difficult to enjoy doing the work that she wanted to do.

“A lot of the mental health issues I deal with manifest as self-doubt and anxiety – but the thing that grounded me the most when I was struggling was humour,” said Ringland. “I always could pick myself up after a good laugh, which I always found in class with my instructors and classmates, or at home with my siblings.”

The Orange Shirts, to commemorate Orange Shirt Day: Every Child Matters on September 30 and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, are available for purchase through the Campus Store. RRC Polytech produced and ordered the Orange Shirts through Red Rebel Armour, an Indigenous streetwear outlet owned and operated by RRC Polytech alum Sean Rayland-Boubar.

All proceeds from the Orange Shirt will go to the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award with the goal of alleviating some financial burden for Indigenous students. Shirts can be purchased in store (in person, on campus) or online.