'I met with residential school survivors for inspiration': Indigenous murals unveiled in downtown London, Ont.
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.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.