Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Regina, the capital of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, for the unveiling of a new public artwork on the occasion of National Indigenous Peoples Day on Wednesday, June 21. Cree-Métis artist Geanna Dunbar and Inuvialuit-Gwich’in artist Brandy Jones designed “The Path to Reconciliation” (2023), a 300-foot-long, eight-foot-wide trail mural on the rendered causeway in the style of traditional First Nations beadwork. The piece featured over 2,600 painted circular ‘beads’, also referencing the importance of the circle as a larger Indigenous symbol rooted in healing, community gatherings and mutual support without hierarchies.
A collaborative effort for the Regina Revitalization Initiative, the mural occupies part of a pedestrian-only downtown block at the FW Hills Shopping Center on Scarth Street. Dunbar and Jones incorporated motifs such as flowers for their pervasive representation across cultures; bison bones to honor the way First Nations people use every part of an animal for food and survival and in recognition of their near extinction due to colonial overhunting; and the colors of aurora borealis which represent late ancestors looking down and offering guidance to those still on Earth. The path begins in front of the late artist Joe Fafard buffalo sculpture“oskana ka-asasteki” (1998), and is marked by a painting of a white buffalo, which means the sacred loop of life for many indigenous cultures.
Jones said Hyperallergic that the broader road to reconciliation is “going in a very good direction”, as shown by the participation of volunteers and the influx of questions from passers-by. While the design took months of meetings to plan, the painting and sealing process was completed between June 1 and June 19 with the help of around 200 volunteers.
“Reconciliation starts with starting these conversations and improving education around these topics,” Jones said, reflecting on her community work in addition to this project. “There is so much interest in wanting to know more and help. Every conversation I had had a different impact.
Dunbar and Jones enlisted the advice and knowledge of Brenda Dubois, Muscowpetung First Nation elder and residential school survivor, as well as Indigenous Cultural Arts Advisor Audrey Dreaver for this endeavor.
“Dubois told us a very powerful story about how river water and ocean water travel through obstacles to meet, and it really resonated with us, so we made bottom beads blue to represent the water’s journey along the way,” Dunbar noted. Jones mentioned that Dubois had a grounded presence that helped the artists lessen their perfectionist tendencies for this project and that Dreaver was a great resource for historical knowledge about the ubiquity of beadwork as a postcolonial impact on First Nations cultures across North America.
The artists have joined forces on this project through the Creative City Center (CCC), an artist-run community space in Regina that provides employment opportunities and professional development support for freelance creative workers, and the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District.
“It was interesting to see a group of people coming together from different places, financial classes, cities, etc., to really endure the harsh weather of an extreme heat wave for this,” Dunbar said of the attendee’s participation. audience. “We were all uncomfortable, and it also represents the path to reconciliation – feeling what it’s like to be uncomfortable in situations and working together as a team.” She said reconciliation for non-Indigenous people to foster and maintain respectful relationships with First Nations people means knowing where your money is going and “working and creating jobs.”
“You can wear an orange shirt for Every Child Matters Day (September 30), or you can go out on Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), but where did you find your orange shirt? Dunbar asked. “Did you buy your shirt at Walmart or did you buy it from an Aboriginal artist? Have you ever spent time in areas with high native populations and talked to landlords? Present yourself to the community in a tangible way, and not just on social media.
The trail mural has been coated with a weatherproof sealant to ensure its permanent presence on Scarth Street.
