The creator of the CAAS logo is twenty-eight year old artist and freelance illustrator, Polly Keeshig-Tobias. Polly is Ojibway from Neyaashiinigaamiing First Nation, also known as Cape Croker. This Ojibway territory is located on what is also called the Bruce Peninsula between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron in Ontario.

Polly has illustrated four books and currently is employed as the adult Native Language coordinator for her Band.

The design for the logo started with our Learning Circle as the jumping off point.

In our logo, Polly has represented the Four Directions with the Four Colours and the Four Elements. These directions, colours and elements are central to the worldview and spirituality of her People and many other indigenous Peoples. Their relationship in the Circle reminds us that all of creation is related and yet each entity has its own original instructions which it must follow. The number 4 is of great significance in many Aboriginal cultures, as is 7 as you will see below.

The inner circle represents the Circle of Life. In every aspect of our lives we go through four stages:

• Spring = Child
• Summer = Youth
• Fall = Adult
• Winter = Elder

This applies to every endeavour we undertake. For example, in relation to the work of the CAAS, in the beginning we are all unknowing, then learners, then we work with what we have learned, and finally we can be teachers.

The outer circle shows the Seven Teaching: we have a responsibility to look after Mother Earth so that she will be able to nurture our descendents seven generations into the future. The presence of 7 in our logo also reminds of the teachings about the Seven Grandfathers and the Seven Fires. To learn more about the teaching related to the seven grandfathers, seek out the work of Edward Benton-Banai, who has produced both a comprehensive text called The Mishomis Book and a series of workbooks for children. This book is referenced on this site in our "Making Connections" section, under "Resources". Another story in which the number Seven is important is the Teaching of the Seven Fires. One accessible version of this story has been written by Sally Gaikeshheyongai. Entitled The Seven Fires: An Ojibway Prophecy , this book was illustrated by Polly Keeshig-Tobias!

In Polly's logo for the CAAS, all these elements are surrounded by Turtle Island. The Turtle Island story is a creation story for many indigenous Peoples of this part of the world. The human race was established on Mother Earth when all our relations, in particular a giant turtle, cooperated to provide an environment to meet the needs of the first Woman who fell from the Skyworld. You can read a telling of the story of Turtle Island in Joseph Bruchac's book Keepers of the Earth , also listed in our resources section.

Polly can be contacted directly at zhiishiib@hotmail.com