'I met with residential school survivors for inspiration': Indigenous murals unveiled in downtown London, Ont.

Jingle Dress dancer Mason Sands, 23, dances during a remembrance ceremony in the intersection of Colborne St. and Horton St. in London, Ont. on Sept. 30, 2022. (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)

A panel of seven Indigenous murals was unveiled in downtown London, Ont. on Truth and Reconciliation Day.

A large crowd met at the corner of Colborne St. and Horton Street to view the

The “We Are Still Here” mural.

It is a joint project between the City of London, N’Amerind Friendship Centre and the London Arts Council.

Ojibwe educator and lead artist Mike Cywink worked with youth Indigenous artists and residential school survivors paint a portion of the mural.

The project aims to “honour the legacy of Residential School Survivors and the children who were lost through Canada’s Residential School System.”

“I met with the residential school survivor group first,” says Cywink.

“I heard some stories and then I came up with the designs myself. I designed them on my iPad and then I transferred the images onto the pieces of plywood, and then then we all painted.”

Cywink credited the people at N’Amerind with support in many areas including answering questions about the Haudenosaunee culture.

The project took two months as Cywink worked with youth Jaims and Jordain Mirasty and Sir Frederick Nicholas on the panels.

“I like knowing that I can come down the street, and I can look up at the side of the building and I can say that ‘I did that’’, says Nicholas, 16, a student at HB Beal Secondary School.

“I want them to understand what they mean and to know how much they mean to the indigenous community”.

Nicholas says it was tough this summer painting the murals because the air conditioning was broken on the second floor of N’Amerind during many of the hot days.

“There would be days when it was just so hot, but we still continue to do the work because this means a lot,” says Nicholas, whose great grandfather tried to escape Residential School 13 times.

“It's a great representation of our people that we haven't had for a long time. Now this is going to be out in the public for everybody to see and it just feels really nice to know that I was a part of that.”

Cywink wants those driving or walking by to think about healing, and the positive work being done to help make things better.

“A lot of indigenous people live with this pain and trauma 365 days a year,” says Cywink.

“I just want people to remember that it's nice on this day to see so many people wearing orange shirts, but people feel that negative stuff that goes along with the residential school system all the time. There is so many people out there putting in work to make things better for us.”