Paddles for Life is the inaugural Moscow Contemporary Billboard Series and is a companion to a year long extension of our exhibit “Picuun, I Am Water.”

Students from Palouse Prairie Charter School’s fourth-grade crew in Moscow and Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment’s Afterschool Program in Lapwai carve paddles as part of their activities. The paddles are physical learning experiences. They are also a metaphor for the tools we give our children to navigate life.

We have not been making that navigation any easier. Creating culturally inclusive learning experiences is important to education. We need to take every opportunity to incorporate more cultural awareness in our education.