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EDUCATORS GUIDE

Copyright ©2009 by the Mendel Art Gallery.
The Mendel Art Gallery acknowledges the collective knowledge of present and past public programming staff in developing this educator’s guide, including Laura
Kinzel, Carol Wylie, Megan Bocking, Kelly Van Damme, Adrian Stimson, Alexandra Badzak, Noreen Neu, Cheryl Meszaros, Neal McLeod, Ray Keighley, and Elizabeth
Matheson. We also credit the co-curators of the James Henderson exhibition, Dan Ring and Neal McLeod, along with catalogue essay contributors Linda Many Guns,
James Lanigan, and Brigid Ward. Special thanks to communications staff at the Mendel, particularly Ed Pas and Lindsey Rewuski, for editing and design.
This educators’ guide, exhibition, and other related programming was made possible through a contribution from the Museums
Assistance Program, Department of Canadian Heritage. PotashCorp is the title sponsor of James Henderson: Wicite Owapi Wicasa: the
man who paints the old men. The Mendel’s annual School Hands-on Tour Program is also sponsored by PotashCorp.
OPEN DAILY
9AM–9PM
FREE ADMISSION
950 SPADINA CRESCENT E.
BOX 569, SASKATOON, SK
CANADA, S7K 3L6
Public Programs: 306-975-8052
(306) 975-7610
MENDEL@MENDEL.CA
WWW.MENDEL.CA

Introduction
The Mendel Art Gallery is pleased to
provide you with this education package
that is designed to supplement your
tour of James Henderson: Wicite Owapi
Wicasa: the man who paints the old men.
Please visit www.mendel.ca/
henderson for supplemental
material. Portions of the upcoming
exhibition catalogue are on this site,
along with printable reproductions,
historical and contemporary context,
interviews, and more. The site can easily
be projected onto a classroom SMART
Board as a teaching aide.
(Cover Image and Above) Sun Walk - Blackfoot,
c. 1924, oil on canvas. Collection of the Mendel
Art Gallery. Purchased with the assistance
of funds from Price Waterhouse, Chartered
Accountants, 1986.

About your Tour
• We recommend that you preview the exhibition to best prepare your students.
• The Program Guide, assigned to work with your group, will call you a week prior to your visit
to discuss details. We strive to tailor the content to meet the needs of individual groups and
welcome your ideas.
• Age appropriately, touring groups will explore:
• the significance of Henderson as an historical figure in Saskatchewan
• how artists choose their subject matter
• how an image can evoke multiple memories and associations that vary with each viewer
• landscape and portraiture as art forms
• the importance of land to identity
• the role that artists play in reflecting individual and community identities
• the interaction of settlers with Indigenous peoples
• the importance of oral histories to understanding our world
We look forward to learning about art with your group.
Thank you for supporting us in supporting art!
Laura Kinzel
Public Programs Coordinator

How to Use this Guide:
• The activities fit into multiple curricula: social studies, language arts, history, media studies, visual
art, and native studies. Flip to the section that fits your curriculum needs.
• Each activity is ready-to-use. Do as many as you like, whatever you have time for.
• Each activity is relevant to tour content and can be adapted for most age groups.
• This guide serves as a general introduction to related themes, from learning the basics of making
landscapes and portraits to exploring issues around Henderson’s practice. Subjects will be covered
in greater depth during the tour.
Mendel programs encourage participants to see the world in new ways. Our
exhibitions are rated OM—Open Minds Required. We help participants to think
critically about the often-confusing world around them, and deliberately challenge
preconceived ideas about art. As a contemporary art gallery, the Mendel offers
a context for art production that is difficult to replicate in a school environment,
therefore providing learners with a unique experience.

Table of Contents
5 About the Exhibition
6 Background Information About
James Henderson
8 Curators and Researchers as
Professional Art Detectives
Collecting Discussion Activity
Land
10 Introduction to Landscape Art
The Proverbial Landscape Activity
Categories of Landscape Activity
Looking at the Landscape Activity
11 Plein Air Landscape Painting
The Space Between Objects Activity
13 Panoramas
Collective Panorama Activity
14 Identity and Land
Memories of the Land Activity
Land Speaks Activity
16 Boosterism
Selling the Idea of Place Activity
Boosterism and Colonialism Activity
People
17 Introduction to Portraiture
Portrait Hunt Activity
Verbal/ Dramatic/ Visual Portrait Activity
Symbols Activity
How to Draw a Face Activity
20 Types and Stereotypes
Exploring “Types” Activity
22 Portraits and Photographs
Enlarging Photographs Activity
“Collage You” Activity
Symbols of You Activity
Identity Box Activity
23 Self-Portraits Versus Those
Made by Someone Else
Making Me Activity
24 Who or What Do We Really
See In An Image?
Mirror Portrait Activity
25 Honouring and Monuments
Illuminated Manuscripts Activity
Oral Traditions Activity
Monuments of Memory Activity
27 Related Topics and Resources
for Further Research

By connecting Henderson’s portraits of First Nations people and his landscape paintings of
the Qu’Appelle Valley and elsewhere to the enduring memories of those who remain and to the
landscape of our times, we attempt to retrieve memory and connect past and present.
—Dan Ring, Chief Curator, Mendel Art Gallery
About the Exhibition
This is a major exhibition of the portraits,
landscape paintings, and commercial
work of Scottish-born artist James
Henderson (1871 to 1951).
• Henderson was Saskatchewan’s first
professional artist to make a living solely
through his artwork. He is also one of
the first nationally and internationally
famous artists in Saskatchewan.
• The exhibition presents Henderson’s
work from the Qu’Appelle Valley where
he lived, and from Scotland, British
Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta.
• It introduces oral histories of Cree, Blackfoot,
and Dakota peoples based on Henderson’s
portraits of Indigenous peoples.
• Documents including family photos,
samples of his commissioned illuminated
manuscripts, correspondence, and published
articles about his career round out the larger
picture of Henderson’s life and passions.
• Photographic source material for
Henderson’s subjects along with a
large photo reproduction of his original
studio reveal his working methods.
• Current video footage of the locations
for his landscapes in the Qu’Appelle
Valley is juxtaposed with the
paintings of the same locations.
• The exhibition, which fills three of four
main galleries at the Mendel, includes
a wide variety of two and threedimensional
objects to explore, and will
surely intrigue viewers of all ages.
• With this exhibition the Mendel has launched
a number of interactive features including
podcasts, and rich web content to gain indepth
access to interviews with key people and
comments on individual artworks on view in the
gallery space. An interactive SMART Board
will be used as a teaching aide during tours.
The exhibition is co-curated by Mendel Chief
Curator Dan Ring and Dr. Neal McLeod,
Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies
at Trent University. The exhibition catalogue
contains essays by several scholars and curators.
An extensive web site for the
exhibition can be found at
www.mendel.ca/henderson.
James Henderson, Evening, c. 1930
oil on canvas. Collection of the Mendel Art Gallery.

Background Information About James Henderson
Below are selected highlights of Henderson’s
life (see the web site for more details):
Biography
• James Henderson was born into a middle
class family in Glasgow, Scotland in 1871.
• The son of a sea captain, he took
an apprenticeship in lithographic
printing at age 16.
• He enrolled in night courses at the
Glasgow School of Art, where he was
influenced by the Scottish Impressionist
School. Visiting galleries and sketching
from nature nurtured his creative drive.
• In 1900 he married Jean Lang in Glasgow.
• Following employment in London as an
engraver and lithographer, Henderson and
his wife emigrated to Regina in 1910, where
he engaged in commercial art assignments.
• Periodic visits to the picturesque Qu’Appelle
Valley appealed to Henderson’s artistic
sensibilities, and he relocated with his wife
to Fort Qu’Appelle in 1915 or 1916. The
environment, rich with lakes, dramatic hills,
and meandering coulees probably reminded
them of their Scottish homeland. They lived
in a house on the Qu’Appelle River, 45 miles
east of Regina, for the remainder of their lives.
• Henderson painted his beloved valley in
every season and mood, and lived a quiet
life. Acquaintances described him as a gentle
man with a keen sense of humour, who loved
dogs, music, golf, and visiting friends.
• Henderson died in Regina in 1951, just short of
his 80th birthday. He was buried alongside his
wife, overlooking the valley at Fort Qu’Appelle.
About Henderson’s Life
• In addition to painting landscapes, Henderson
also painted portraits. While these include
portraits of Saskatchewan political and
business figures, he more importantly
established a career as a painter of portraits
of Indigenous peoples. There is evidence
that Henderson had a personal relationship
with the Indigenous people he painted;
it is thought that a Chief of the Standing
Buffalo Reserve near Fort Qu’Appelle named
Henderson as Honorary Chief Wicite Owapi
Wicasa: the man who paints the old men.
(Researchers have questions about the origin
and translation of Henderson’s honorary
Dakota name. The web site and exhibition
catalogue explore this subject in greater detail.)
• Recognizing Henderson’s significant
achievements, the University of Saskatchewan
bestowed on him an honorary Doctor of
Laws degree at its spring convocation in
1951. Gordon Snelgrove, Head of the Art
Department, referred to Henderson as the
“dean of Saskatchewan artists…esteemed
throughout Canada as a painter of first rank.”

Exhibitions and Art Career
Henderson’s exhibition history is
lengthy. Below are some highlights.
• His portraits first came to national and
international attention when his work
was included in the 1924 and 1925
Canadian arts sections of the British
Empire Exhibition in London, England.
• During the late 1920s and early 1930s he
exhibited portraits and landscapes in the
Annual Exhibition of Canadian Art at the
National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, alongside
members of the Group of Seven and Emily Carr.
• The National Gallery of Canada purchased
one portrait and two landscapes
by him, during this period.
• In 1925 the University of Saskatchewan
commissioned Henderson to paint twelve
portraits of Indigenous peoples.
• In the 1920s and 1930s he regularly
exhibited in Montreal, Toronto, Regina,
and London, England.
• Henderson travelled in Western Canada,
painting portraits of Indigenous peoples and
exhibiting his works in the principal cities.
• In addition to portraits and Qu’Appelle
Valley landscapes, his oeuvre contains
landscapes of British Columbia, Alberta,
Ontario, and Scotland.
• Henderson sold most of his work directly
from his studio in Fort Qu’Appelle.
James Henderson when he first came to the Fort,
c. 1915–16. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of
Diane Morris.

Curators and Researchers as
Professional Art Detectives
This is the first exploration of this magnitude
into the life and work of James Henderson. The
exhibition curators wanted to bring together
as much of his vast body of work in one
location as possible. In addition to celebrating
Henderson’s prolific career, curators also sought
to examine the attitudes of the time and the
impact of his legacy today. This process required
much research over several years from myriad
sources. The result of all this research is an
expansive, inclusive, and remarkable exhibition.
• Substantial new information was discovered,
both fascinating and at times contradictory.
(Touring groups will explore this more fully.)
• There are some exhibition and
archival records, and many anecdotal
remembrances about the man.
• No personal journals, diaries, or letters
were found that could give an impression
of his thoughts and ambitions.
• A few quotes from newspaper articles written
about him during or after his life offer some
glimpse into his opinions on art and society.
• Owners of Henderson’s paintings were
sought out. Some readily contributed
works for the project, and others had to be
convinced about the merits of parting with
their treasures for loan to the exhibition.
• There are many more works known
to be in existence that could not
be included in the show.
• Curators travelled to places that
Henderson lived and worked, including
Scotland, to piece together his life.
• Family photos were revealed
after much word-of-mouth.
• Longtime residents in the Qu’Appelle
Valley helped to situate the actual locations
that Henderson painted in the valley
and provide a history of the area.
• Interviews with surviving family members and
acquaintances of the subjects in Henderson’s
portraits of Indigenous peoples clarify their
names and provide a valuable oral history.
• Connections to significant historical figures
abound, including portraits of Chief Sitting
Bull who battled at the Little Big Horn River,
Chief Crowfoot who was the head chief
of the Blackfoot Confederacy and had a
prominent role in Treaty 7 negotiations,
and Honorable Hugh Richardson who
presided over the trial of Louis Riel.

Collecting Discussion Activity
The Henderson exhibition was drawn from
private and public collections of artwork,
including the Mendel’s own Permanent
Collection. Introduce the notion of collecting
by asking students the following:
• Why do some people like to collect things?
(For example: we like what we collect,
collecting is challenging, we can show off
our efforts, it’s prestigious, collecting things
no one else has is fun, we earn money by
reselling it, it’s an investment, we can increase
our knowledge about a topic, we enjoy
talking to others who share our interests).
• Do you collect? What?
• Where do you keep it?
• How do you decide what goes
into your collection?
• Who sees it?
Consider asking students to bring in
elements from their collections for
“show and tell.”
Collection of animals. Photo by Laura Kinzel.

Land
Introduction to Landscape Art
The landscape is all around us. It is something
that we take for granted and consequently, rarely
take the time to appreciate. In other words,
familiarity can produce apathy. The activities
below introduce students to landscape art.
The Proverbial Landscape Activity
Begin by asking students what landscape
art is (works of art that show features
of the natural environment).
• Why would an artist use the landscape as
subject matter? (to capture awe and wonder,
it’s ever-changing, artists can experiment
with materials, it’s a fun environment
to work in, artists can scientifically/
geographically/biologically study a place,
they can express a spiritual connection,
artists can learn perspective, etc.)
• Ask students to begin the landscape unit by
painting a landscape, to record their idea
of a landscape painting. Do not give them
any motivational cues. Keep this painting
as a record to compare to a painting they
will produce in the classroom after the
gallery visit. This first work will likely be a
cliché landscape that can be questioned
throughout the learning process.
10
Categories of Landscape Activity
Collect reproductions, pictures, photographs,
poems, stories, etc., about the landscape.
• Brainstorm with the students about how
many different kinds of landscape they see
(barren, rocky, forests, stormy, morning,
seascape, mountains, moody, etc.).
• Develop some categories of landscape
paintings (prairie, with buildings, with people,
close-up, panorama, with animals, etc.).
• What is the difference between real
life landscape and pictures? (no
smells, sounds, one point of view)
Looking at the Landscape Activity
Outside in nature or looking at reproductions:
• Ask students to look for directions in
the environment by noticing horizontal,
vertical and diagonal lines.
• Challenge students to “stretch” their
eyes. “Find something outside you
haven’t noticed before and draw it.”
• Ask them to investigate textures in
a landscape by taking rubbings of
leaves, bark, and other surfaces.

Plein Air Landscape Painting
There is ample evidence that James Henderson
painted many of his landscapes on site outdoors.
Plein air is a French phrase meaning “open
air.” Plein air painting, or painting out of doors,
was not common until the mid-19th century,
after transportation improved and lightweight
portable equipment was invented (including
tubes for oil paint). These changes facilitated the
growing desire by artists to paint directly from
nature. Plein air was popularised by the French
Impressionists, especially Monet, whose work
captured the ever-changing effects of natural
light through active brushstrokes and vibrant
colour. Because they could spontaneously
respond directly to subtle mood and atmospheric
changes, plein air artists were able to develop
new techniques such as rapid brush-work.
Unpredictable weather, rapidly changing light,
paint that dries too quickly or slowly, even insects
are some of the challenges that plein air artists
face—but even these are just part of the fun!
Henderson preferred an “impressionist” style
when painting his landscapes—whether
they depicted the Qu’Appelle Valley where
he lived most of his life, reflected Scotland
where he was born, or recorded his travels
through British Columbia, Alberta, or Ontario.
His landscapes give a general impression
of the scene and captures a mood, through
active brush strokes, blended colours,
and scant attention to fine details.
11
James Henderson, Road to the Lake, 1935, oil on canvas.
Collection of James Lanigan.

The Space Between Objects Activity
In this activity students will go outdoors to work
en plein air using any colourful drawing or painting
material. They can use a viewfinder (explained
below) to isolate a section of the landscape. If
the weather is poor, this activity can be done
from photographs that feature large foreground
trees that frame the scene (try a Google image
search [trees, landscape] or old calendars).
• Begin by referring to the Henderson painting
Road to the Lake (see page 11) or other
reproductions. See how the large trees frame
the landscape. The close-up, detailed trees
in the foreground create contrast with the
smaller and more distant elements in the
landscape. The illusion of depth has been
created by having large detailed elements in
the foreground, and shapes that gradually
get smaller as they recede into space.
• Introduce the idea that one way to incorporate
trees into a scene is to start with the
background and add the trees on top of
it. But a more interesting way is to start by
making the big trees in the foreground, then
filling in the background elements between
the trees. That way, the space between the
objects (negative space) is as interesting as
the objects themselves. Explain that this is the
approach you would like the students to take.
• To draw the scene, students first sketch the
main parts in pencil, then add colour with
pastels or paint. Pay attention to the space
between the leaves, branches, and trees
(negative space). Also notice the subtle
visual changes in the sky. If the drawing
includes water, be sure to reflect the clouds
12
on its surface. Carefully look at the lights
and darks in the scene and choose/blend
the colours and materials accordingly.
Generally, light colours advance and dark
colours recede. Highlights and shadows
can add depth. Are those shadows really
black, or can you see other colours, too?
Tip to using viewfinders
Sometimes the thought of drawing or painting
an entire landscape can seem overwhelming.
If students hold a viewfinder up and peer
through it, they can isolate the more interesting
parts of the landscape. Empty slide mounts
or hand-cut windows in stiff paper can both
function as viewfinders. Practice holding
it at different distances from the face.
Using a viewfinder to isolate sections of the landscape.

Panoramas
A panorama is a two-dimensional work
of art that depicts a viewpoint of 180
degrees or more. In some of his paintings
Henderson depicted vast views of the
landscape. While we can debate whether
some of Henderson’s paintings technically
are panoramas, we can certainly agree that
many reflected broad stretches of land.
13
Collaborative Panorama Activity
Have students sit outdoors or in the classroom
in a semi circle.
• Using viewfinders (see The Space Between
Objects Activity on page 12) and the devices
of perspective to draw the landscape, ask
each student to depict the small portion of
the panoramic space they see through their
viewfinder. You could mark out the range of
space for each student to view.
• Pin all the drawings together on a long wall to
re-create the larger panoramic view. It’s okay
if some images overlap and shift perspective.

Identity and Land
Where we are born, where we grow up, and
where we move to—whether by choice or
circumstance—all influence who we become.
In his essay for the exhibition catalogue, Neal
McLeod discusses how a lifestyle of hunting,
trapping, fishing, gathering plants, and the
changing rhythms of the seasons sustained the
livelihood of Indigenous peoples; land, humans,
and animals were deeply intertwined. When a
dam built in the Qu’Appelle Valley resulted in
flooding, the landscape was forever altered,
and by extension so too were the peoples of
the region. For more information, McLeod’s
interviews with elders and knowledge keepers
from the valley can be accessed at www.
mendel.ca/henderson, read in the exhibition
catalogue, or previewed in the exhibition.
14
James Henderson, The Marsh, 1918, oil on canvas.
Collection of James Lanigan.
The Marsh, by James Henderson, depicts the
marsh at the end of Pasqua Lake before the
building of the dam in Fort Qu’Appelle in 1943
caused extensive flooding. Prior to this flooding
the marsh was a traditional Indigenous hunting
area and was also used by settlers for the same
purpose. This is a contested issue today and
negotiations are still under way to compensate
members of the Pasqua reserve for the flooding.

Memories of the Land Activity
Ask students to collect stories surrounding
family origins from family members.
• Where have their ancestors lived,
how did the land influence their
lifestyles, and what has changed?
• Share these stories in class and discuss the
different relationships the students’ ancestors
may have expressed about the land.
• Ask students to draw one of the
stories that helped them to understand
the world in a new way.
Check out the Homelands section
of the ARTSask web site for related
responses by other artists, www.artsask.
ca, or http://artsask.uregina.ca/en/
collections/themes/homelands.
1
Land Speaks Activity
Obtain a copy of the short children’s book,
Qu’Appelle (see below) by David Bouchard
(paintings by Michael Lonechild). It recounts a
famous love story about a young brave who must
leave his betrothed to lead a war party against
the Blackfoot. Broken hearted, his betrothed
dies. Cree elders say you can still hear the brave
searching for his girlfriend. Mohawk poet Pauline
Johnson tells another version of the story that
educators could also investigate with students.
• After reading the book, ask students to interview
a place. This place could be a personification
of their school, a favorite hiding place, their
backyard, bedroom, closet, grandparents’
kitchen, etc. Generate a list of questions with
the class for them to use during their interviews.

Boosterism
James Henderson, Winnipeg, under the proposed scheme, will become one of the most superb capitols of
Canada, c. 1913, newspaper clipping. Courtesy of Diane Morris, Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan.
In the early twentieth century the prairie was
promoted as a great place in which to live and
invest. Images that promoted the benefits of
Canadian settlement were widely distributed to
European audiences. These images were often
exaggerated and excessively optimistic. James
Henderson played a role in Boosterism through
his commercial work, as demonstrated by his
imagined plan for the city of Winnipeg and other
commissions. The topic of prairie Boosterism
and Henderson’s role are discussed more
extensively in Dan Ring’s catalogue essay.
1
Selling the Idea of Place Activity
Ask students to think about how they can “sell”
the idea that their school is the best in the city
to attend. They will make a poster to entice
future students. Exaggerate, celebrate, brag,
and ignore the negatives.
Boosterism and Colonialism Activity
Older students can investigate the larger role
that Boosterism played in colonialism and the
displacement of Indigenous peoples.

People
Introduction to Portraiture
The portraits painted by James Henderson
were either commissioned by others, or were
done because he was interested in the subject
and could earn a living by selling his work.
Portrait Hunt Activity
Begin by asking students “What is a portrait?”
Traditionally a portrait is defined as a
representation of a person, especially of the face,
but there are grey areas in the definition. Clearly
when someone represents himself or herself,
developed from life, it is a portrait. Some people
argue that a representation of a person long dead
is not a true portrait as it is done from imagination
and the evidence of accuracy is sketchy. What
about when an actor portrays someone else in
a movie? Is a representation of any living thing a
portrait, such as a painting of a dog or a tree?
• Students will collect portraits from many
sources and of diverse people. Display
the images and make a list of what
information can be gleaned from portraits
(age of the sitter, social status, nationality,
state of mind, occupation, tastes).
1
• What are the functions of a portrait?
A portrait can function as:
• a historical document (hairstyles,
clothes fashion, a record of what a
historical person looked like, etc.),
• a symbol (the Queen’s photo in
many classrooms, a Christ figure),
• a statement about “the state of
things” (Van Gogh’s self portrait),
• a study in composition
(Picasso’s portraits),
• a means of self-exploration
(Rembrandt’s self-portraits),
• a representation of familial
bonds (Mary Cassatt’s paintings
of mothers with children)
• a record of social status (painting
by James Henderson of a judge,
on view in the Saskatchewan
Legislative Building in Regina)
• and more.
• Using the collected images, cut and paste
portraits with conflicting information,
such as the hands of a model, head of a
businessman, and clothes of a rock star.

Verbal/Dramatic/Visual Portrait Activity
Ask students to select a real person that they are
familiar with, and have them write a description of
that person’s physical features and personality.
• Ask students to act out a portrait of that person.
• Then instruct students to draw or paint a
portrait of that person. They should include
objects in their picture that tell more about the
person, and keep in mind colour symbolism and
distinguishing features.
1
Symbols Activity
A symbol is something which is itself and yet
stands for something else or evokes a meaning
beyond itself. A portrait can be a symbol in itself,
and it can use symbols to convey information
about the sitter. Referring to portraits of important
people, ask students what kind of character is
implied in each portrait.
• Discuss the role that gesture, stance, and
expression plays in informing the viewer.
• How might students act out concepts such
as authority, genius, spirituality, stupidity or
wealth?
• What symbols are frequently used in our
culture?
• Have students draw symbolic self-portraits of
what they want to be 20 years from now, using
props and symbols to identify the profession.

How to Draw a Face Activity
This basic activity teaches the proportions of a
face. Reinforce that these are guidelines, that
every face is a little bit different. Ask students to:
• Draw an egg shape for the head.
• Draw a light line half way down across the face
to mark the eyes; eyes are half way between top
of head and chin (or lower on young children).
• Divide this line into five sections to show where
eyes go; eyes are in the second and fourth
sections. Eyes are like skinny, lopsided lemons,
tilted up at the outside corners. There is an eye
length across the nose.
• The bottom of the nose is half way between
eyes and chin. The nose is like a flat, curvy “M”
with “C’s” on either side.
• A line half way between the nose and chin
marks the bottom of the mouth; the mouth
is closer to the nose than the chin. The line
between the lips is a bit like a flattened “M.”
• Now consider shading. Observe where shadows
are around the nose, cheeks, eyes, etc.
• Add hair. Look for the basic shape and then
work on highlights and shadows, adding a few
strands for emphasis.
• Shoulders are a head’s width on each side.
1

Types and Stereotypes
James Henderson lived and painted during a time
when the dominant culture was often blatantly
racist. Like many settlers of his age, Henderson
seemed to believe that “the Indian” was a
vanishing race, and therefore he romanticized
their past in his depictions of them.
“Artists who came to North America
from Europe were the first to make
visual images of aboriginal people for
Europeans who knew little of the new
world and its people. Many of the artists
themselves knew little of the new world
and its people. The images they created
of aboriginal people did not accurately
reflect how these people saw themselves.
These pictures depicted how Europeans
saw them. Many of these images were
romantic notions of aboriginal people
which really did not exist.” (Claiming
Ourselves: iyiniwak anohc, educators
guide, Neal McLeod and Elizabeth
Matheson, Mendel Art Gallery, 1996)
While James Henderson spent time getting to
know the local band members, and apparently
was given an honourary Dakota name, curators
today feel that several of his portraits contain
confusing information about the subjects, such
as Dakota headdresses on Blackfoot people,
people in portraits who others today say do not
look like the person depicted, etc. (Tour groups
will explore this more fully during their visits.) As
we find errors or inconsistencies around some
of Henderson’s portraits of Indigenous peoples,
what are we, then, to think about every portrait
that he painted?
20
Linda Many Guns has written an essay in the
catalogue about peoples from the Blackfoot
Nation/Blackfoot Confederacy who are depicted
in Henderson’s portraits. Excerpts are on the
exhibition web site and within the exhibition itself.
James Henderson, The Philosopher, A Sioux Indian, no
date, oil on canvas. Collection of the MacKenzie Art
Gallery, University of Regina Collection. Gift of Mr. Norman
MacKenzie.

Exploring “Types” Activity
James Henderson painted many portraits.
Sometimes he identified the name of the
sitter in the title, and other times he (or others)
titled his paintings “Sioux Indian” or “Female
Indian Head.” This can imply a kind of generic
handling of those sitters. This is especially
troublesome given the colonial enterprise that
worked to assimilate Indigenous people into
settler culture, and the treatment of Indigenous
people as a vanishing race. Ask students how
they would feel if someone painted a likeness
of them and then titled it “Student Head.”
Would the image still be of them, and what
other messages might it give to viewers?
The above conversation leads to a
discussion of “types” and stereotypes.
• Ask students to gather pictures of a
wide variety of character types.
• Then ask them to establish categories of
“types”; some may be ambiguous and others
may be more subjective. Cartoon characters
and caricatures can be part of this conversation.
• Ask students to choose a “type” of person and
draw it according to accepted conventions
(saint with halo, villain in black, grandma with
glasses, nerd with unfashionable clothing).
• Display these works and ask students
to guess what “type” is represented
and explain their reasoning.
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• Now discuss the usefulness of this kind
of “typing” and the inherent assumptions.
In what ways is “typing” helpful, and
in what ways is it damaging?
• Pictures do not show exactly the whole
truth; ask students if they have seen things
on television that aren’t completely true.
What about a game, movie or toy that
isn’t as exciting as the commercial?
• Move this discussion forward by allowing
students to talk about their diverse ethnic
backgrounds. How do they feel stereotyped?
What effect does this have on them?

Portraits and Photographs
To paint his portraits, James Henderson often
enlarged photographs using a grid system.
Enlarging Photographs Activity
Teach students how to enlarge a portrait.
• Draw a grid of 1.27 cm squares
(½ inch) on top of a photo.
• Then draw a grid of 2.54 cm squares
(1-inch) on another piece of paper.
• Now copy what you see in each square
of the photo onto the big paper.
“Collage You” Activity
In this activity students will collage together
photographs of various aspects of themselves
to present a unique self-portrait. Images
can include close-ups of body parts, long
shots, and photos of props that tell more
about the student. Black and white prints
from digital photos would work fine.
• Students will collage their fragments
into a long horizontal format to create
a landscape-like narrative.
• Consider how ordering and layout
changes the message.
22
Symbols of You Activity
In this activity students will draw symbols
of themselves on an enlarged portrait.
• A school photograph can be enlarged using a
computer or a photocopier. Enlarging provides
more surface to draw upon. Ask students to
enhance the enlarged image with symbols
of themselves to explore their inner selves.
Identity Box Activity
The most meaningful and successful
artworks come when the artist has direct
experience with the subject or theme. This
activity explores the use of visual symbols
to tell personal histories and stories.
• Students will first discuss and list various
groups to which they belong (family,
sports, religious, musical, school, age,
ethnicity, jobs, fan clubs, hobbies, etc).
• Students will then expand their list to include
more abstract ideas that relate to their
identity (people they admire or dislike, current
events, issues, favourite places to go).
• Next they will collect symbols from any source,
and may alter them to change their meaning.
These symbols can be put into individual
boxes and when examined will be able to
communicate about the maker’s identity.
• What ideas and symbols are common to
the class as a whole? Would people outside
the class understand these symbols?
How have different symbols been used to
explain the same ideas? Did some symbols
stand for multiple ideas even when the
student only intended one meaning?

Self-Portraits versus Those Made by Someone Else
Some people are concerned that Henderson
was a non-Indigenous person painting portraits
of Indigenous people. They question how much
he truly knew about his subjects and his intent
behind making the portraits. While his homeland
of Scotland experienced a colonial past similar
to Indigenous peoples in Canada, this may
or may not have made him sympathetic.
Making Me Activity
Consider the differences between an image
you make of yourself and an image that
someone else has made of you. Would both
reflect the same thoughts and impressions?
• Ask students to really think about how
they would like to present themselves
in a portrait, and what location and
props they would like to use.
• Then have them draw a self-portrait or take
a photo of themselves using a timer.
• Next, ask students to make
images of each another.
• Lastly, compare the end results.
23

Who or What Do We Really See in An Image?
In his catalogue essay, Neal McLeod references
an old Cree story about people who “mistakenly
identify others as themselves.” He explains
that people in the story are unaware that
they are actually looking into a mirror while
they make assumptions. James Henderson’s
paintings act as mirrors through which we
can learn a great deal about Indigenous
peoples, the landscape, Henderson himself,
and our own attitudes. There is always a
context for how an image is interpreted.
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Mirror Portrait Activity
In this activity, students will draw, paint, and
collage an image of themselves as a hand mirror
reflects back their representation of themselves.
• First, ask students to draw a picture of
themselves from behind, showing themselves
holding up a hand-held mirror.
• Then, in this mirror they will depict a reflection
of themselves. This reflection could be a
photograph that is cut out and glued onto
the mirror, or it could be a more abstract
representation filled with symbols, colours, and
portions of their face.
• Viewers of the completed work will see both the
back of their head plus the image in the mirror.

Honouring and Monuments
James Henderson received many commissions
to illustrate and hand-letter certificates, memorial
rolls of honour, and testimonial documents to
acknowledge dignitaries and important events.
Certificate awarded to nurse. Attributed to James Henderson,
vintage gelatin silver print on paper of an original illuminated
address. Photo by Don Hall. Collection of the MacKenzie Art
Gallery.
2
Illuminated Manuscripts Activity
Show students examples from the Henderson
web site (in the “Early Life” section), or show
them examples of illuminated manuscripts from
any source.
• Ask students to select a person or event they
wish to honour and then write a brief passage to
acknowledge that person.
• Using calligraphy or fancy hand lettering they
will design a page, carefully write the message,
and draw small vignettes that relate to the
person being honoured.

Oral Traditions Activity
Much of the research for the James Henderson
exhibition involved speaking to people
who knew Henderson personally, live in the
Qu’Appelle Valley, know the sitters depicted in
his portraits, or have other personal knowledge
of content related to Henderson’s practice.
Honouring the oral traditions and stories
by knowledge keepers is a very important
component of the Henderson project.
• In preparing for tours, classrooms
can bring in Indigenous storytellers to
share their culture and teachings.
• Students can also interview their own family
members or visit a seniors’ residence to
engage in the stories from other generations.
• Discuss with students what they
learn through this process.
2
Monuments of Memory Activity
In his catalogue essay, Neal McLeod talks
about how James Henderson’s paintings
serve as monuments. He says the images
evoke another telling or memory for someone
else. Henderson’s paintings honour, remind,
challenge, teach, and contradict.
• Ask students to select any Henderson
portrait or landscape painting, and write or
talk about what it makes them think about.
Address to the Prince of Wales from the Government
of Saskatchewan, Oct. 4, 1919. Attributed to James
Henderson, vintage gelatin silver print on paper of an
original illuminated address by James Henderson.
Collection of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.

Related Topics and Resources for Further Research
• Web site dedicated to James Henderson: Wicite Owapi
Wicasa: the man who paints the old men:
www.mendel.ca/henderson
• For diverse information on the Qu’Appelle Valley, a 2006
Mendel Art Gallery exhibition project through Virtual
Museums of Canada: Qu’Appelle—Past/Present/Future:
http://www.mendel.ca/quappelle
• For an extensive educator resource for Saskatchewan
and Canadian art with lesson plans, developed by the
Ministry of Education and University of Regina around the
collections of the Mendel Art Gallery and MacKenzie Art
Gallery in Regina. The themes of Homelands, Isolation and
Landscape, Identity, and Place all contain exciting artists
and activities: www.artsask.ca.
• See the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum’s
Guide for Teachers: Saskatchewan 1905 to 2005. A
free copy was sent by them in 2008 to every school in
Saskatchewan. It contains numerous lesson plans around
multiple aspects of settlement.
• The exhibition contains portraits and references to
several important people and events. Research any of the
following:
• Standing Buffalo
• Big Bear
• Chief Crowfoot
• Sitting Bull
• 1885 Resistance
• Trial of Louis Riel (portrait of Justice Hugh Richardson
who presided over the trial and sentenced Riel)
• The Blackfoot Confederacy
• Dakota (Sioux) peoples in Saskatchewan
• Cree peoples in Saskatchewan
• Treaty Numbers 4, 6, 7
• 1870 when the Hudson’s Bay company sold Rupert’s
Land to the Dominion of Canada
• the Group of Seven artists in Canada
2
• To explore more about other non-Indigenous artists and
photographers who recorded early Indigenous peoples, see
the work of Edward Curtis, Paul Kane, and Edmund Morris.
• For other educators guides developed by the Mendel Art
Gallery that could be used for follow-up after the tour:
http://www.mendel.ca/schools/resource/index.html
• DiverCity: Immigrant Youth Stories in Saskatoon
• SlammED: raw poetic explorations into moral
intelligence for grades 5 though 8
• Office of the Treaty Commissioner: www.otc.ca
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada: www.ainc-inac.gc.ca
• For more lesson plans around Indigenous peoples:
www.edselect.com/first_nations_people.htm
• Canadian Museum of Civilization for web modules
for Kindergarten to Grade 12 under Civilization Clicks,
http://www.civilisations.ca/cmc/exhibitions/onlineexhibitions/first-peoples
(First Peoples of Canada or
Gateway to Aboriginal Heritage)
• For a children’s book related to First Nations stories about
the Qu’Appelle Valley, see Qu’Appelle by David Bouchard,
paintings by Michael Lonechild
• Through the Eyes of the Cree: The Art of Allen Sapp:
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/allensapp/

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