A new community arts project has been launched to raise awareness and remembrance of those children who never returned from Indian Residential schools and much more.

Dewegun is a word in the Ojibway language translates in English to mean, "living heart". 101 Dewaguns (pronounced Dee-way-guns) is a project developed by Jackie Lebonte and Oliver Nobosin who reside in the Niagara Region of Ontario.

Lebonte and Nobosin have developed a way to engage both native and non-native people in the process of creating and being part of a collective workshop that will ultimately create 101 drums as they travel around to different areas. Right now, the drums are in the first phase of their creation process. Participants can sand drum strikers, engrave one of the listed names of a child who never returned home from a residential school, wood burn patterns into the 13 sides of the drum frames, or lace up drum bags.

Once this part of the process is complete the drums will be covered in deer hide and sent out to native and non-native artists to paint and insert a positive message. Once complete the drums will return to be housed as an exhibit and learning tool for people.

Assistant Director of 101 Deweguns Jess Boulay says the goal is to "inspire a way we can move together into the future", adding that all the artist messages will be hosted on the 101 Dewaguns website. Jody Harbour, the Community Awareness Liaison for the project,  says Jackie Lebonte and Oliver Nobosin's vision is one of love and provides for a time to heal as well as preserve the memory of the children and the experiences that have created this legacy.

You can find out more by visiting the 101 Dewaguns "A Living Heart's Legacy" website.

Listen to the entire interview with Assistant Director Jess Boulay and Community Liaison Jody Harbour below.