Students at Sudbury Catholic Schools were challenged to apply themed makeup applications in a local contest that promotes the skilled trade of aesthetics. Over 100 students from grades 7-12 participated.
Robyn Lafortune Indigenous Support Worker at Bishop Carter Alexander and Tina Trudeau Indigenous Support Worker at Marymount Academy challenged students even further by asking students to plan Indigenous themed makeup application. The challenge was to use their face as a canvas to communicate a message of strength, resiliency or as a call to social action.
Grade 12 student, Miranda Monzon placed first in the board-wide competition.
Miranda states: “This challenge really touched my creative side, I have always wanted to do a really dramatic makeup look but never had the motivation to do it. As soon as I found out that I could participate I immediately wanted to join. The theme was traditional Indigenous makeup and since my family is Indigenous I thought it would be perfect.The theme I went for was standing up for all the missing and murdered Indigenous
women, that’s what the red hand- print over my mouth has meant. The colours I chose to do on my eyes was just inspiration from some of the jewelry my grandmother had sent me for the contest and I wanted to match the head piece I had worn. The makeup on my chest was to show the earth and how our land was stolen from us. I decided to go very deep into this look but I did for my grandma and my family because I want to stand up for what she had to go through”.