A patch designed by an Anishinaabe artist from Manitoba is set to travel into deep space during the upcoming Artemis II mission as astronaut Jeremy Hansen becomes the first Canadian to orbit the moon.

Artist Henry Guimond, from Sagkeeng First Nation about 100 kilometres north of Winnipeg, said it’s “out of this world” to know his work will be travelling farther into space than any humans have gone before.

“That’s a long way for my artwork to be going — totally amazing,” Guimond told CBC News on Monday. 

The Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Hansen will be embarking on a 10-day mission past the far side of the moon alongside NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch. The team will be testing how crucial systems on the Orion spacecraft respond with astronauts aboard. 

When the crew lifts off as early as Wednesday night — Artemis II’s first launch window is Wednesday, April 1, between 6:24 p.m. to 8:24 p.m. ET — Hansen’s flight suit will carry Indigenous knowledge and culture with him.

The seven-sided patch features seven vibrant blue animals inspired by Anishinaabe teachings, including the Seven Sacred Laws that connect humans with their relationship to the Earth. 

Each animal inside the silver heptagonal border, which represents the Orion spacecraft, carries a significant meaning: the buffalo represents respect; the eagle is love; the bear is courage; the sasquatch is honesty; the beaver is wisdom; the wolf is humility, and the turtle is truth.

The design also features a bow representing Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt with whom the mission shares its name. The arrow is shown being launched from Earth and around Grandmother Moon. 

“It’s good for everyone to learn those teachings, the seven laws for all humanity, not just for Indigenous people, but for all people,” Guimond said. 

Hansen asked Guimond to design a personal patch for his flight suit after participating in a vision quest at Turtle Lodge Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Education and Wellness in Sagkeeng First Nation in 2023. 

Guimond created it with the guidance of knowledge keeper Dave Courchene III. 

Hansen says it’s meaningful to have these teachings guide him on his journey to the moon and back. 

“It just represents some of the beauty of Indigenous culture and their perspective on the moon and the Seven Sacred Laws, and just the richness of doing something together,” he said during a news conference on Sunday. 

Guimond said designing the patch sent him on his own mission to unveil the patch at CSA headquarters near Montreal and to Regina. 

Now, he said, it feels like “a piece of me is going with them” into space. 

Guimond said he will be watching the launch with his family and following the historic journey around the moon.