Commitment to Reconciliation comes alive in Cote mural

“The mural represents the original man and woman and the beginning of our oral history,” said the Indigenous artist during the Dec. 5 unveiling of the piece, as students, teachers, administrators and guests gathered in the Wilder Library to soak in the beauty of his art. “It’s very vital to carry our voice across the landscape.”

Cote added, “The black background represents the beginning of the universe. The Great Spirit was in a black void and sent out signals to see if there was anything there. They created stars, which were the beginning. Woman is the morning star, and man was lowered to Earth from the sky, comprising the elements of the medicine wheel, the wheel of life: earth, water, fire and air.” Each element, he explained, represents a season in human lives. 

Cote pointed out the animals populating the mural: the bear, the beaver, the eagle, the sea bird, the turtle and the wolf, each representing one of the seven Indigenous clans and specific values, such as love, respect and humility. One of the seven is missing, however: the deer clan.

“I kept it out on purpose, because it symbolizes knowledge and the teachers here represent that,” Cote said.

“They are a living connection to this kind clan and how you live these words.

“When I create a site-specific mural, I try to connect with the history of the land.”

Principal Sam McKinney commended Cote’s work and thanked the donors who helped to make it possible, the late Peter Dalglish ’53 and his wife, Camilla, “who enriched our community with the gift of public art.” He urged the attendees to reflect on the journey of art exploration where “art, community, philosophy and pluralism converge.”

Year 5 students Adam Chediak and Harrison Shaver shared their favourite aspects of the mural with Cote during the unveiling ceremony.

“We learned about each animal there and discovered that the parts of the turtle’s shell represent the 13 months in the Indigenous calendar,” Shaver said.

Chediak noted, “I like that the animals are connected to specific traits and that the mural has multiple perspectives. It’s exciting to have it in the library so people can become more aware.”

Julia Kinnear, academic dean and interim head of the Prep, talked of the more than eight-year relationship between Cote and UCC, working with students to explore Indigenous history through art and to understand the principles by which Indigenous peoples live. It was a Year 5 class that first proposed the mural, she explained, in response to the question, ‘How can we spur the UCC community to think more deeply about the present and past of this UCC land?’ 

She applauded art and design teacher Monika Kastelic for her leadership role “in creating this learning opportunity for all of us and for sustaining this treasured relationship” with Cote, and commended Prep pluralism coordinator, Tina Jagdeo, and the UCC Truth and Reconciliation Working Group for their ongoing support of the project.

Regarding the choice to hang the mural in Wilder Library, Kinnear said, “Philip shared with us that allowing Indigenous narratives to physically live on the landscape is Reconciliation in action, so we situated it in a place that is a traditional knowledge centre.”

Later, Jagdeo added, “We value hearing from a multiplicity of voices as sources. When students experience a variety of opinions and ideas, they can explore different perspectives before constructing their own meaning. Philip provides oral history and visual sources as a way of deepening our knowledge.

“Pluralism is one of UCC’s five values and the process of creating this mural was a way of taking it off the wall and really living it.”

The ceremony closed with offering of tobacco, illuminating the significant Indigenous history and ongoing connection to the land on which UCC now sits, and Three Sisters soup, a combination of corn, squash and beans that represents reciprocity and working together to support each other. This “Feasting the Land” is a symbolic offering of food from the coming meal and tobacco to ancestors and the land.

Earlier in the day, Kastelic opened the festivities by presenting Cote and six drummers and dancers from Walks Across Collective with a symbolic offering of tobacco in appreciation for sharing their presence and knowledge with UCC. By choosing to accept the offering, they were agreeing to share their knowledge with the school community.

Students in Years 3 to 7 celebrated the unveiling of the mural with an assembly in Weston Hall. Cote himself shared a Sundance drum song. His niece, Cotee Harper, and Walks Across Collective also presented four dances that were accompanied by the big drum and traditional singing. Harper explained the big drum represents the heartbeat of mothers, which is the first beat that we all hear, and the high-pitched singing represents the first cry of a baby when it is born.

Retired faculty and administrator Scott Cowie served as a liaison between the Truth and Reconciliation Working Group and the administration as they brought the mural project to fruition.

“It was a privilege to work with a team of very committed folks who wanted to see this through,” Cowie said.

“Philip and the working group should be incredibly proud, because the mural is stunning. How insightful of him to use the UCC land as a starting point.”

Tom Babits, the retired director of clubs for UCC, was a member of the working group as the project unfolded.

“We’ve come so far as a school community,” Babits said. “We can openly talk about Truth and Reconciliation and work collaboratively with Indigenous leaders to try to move the process forward. This mural points towards the future and the ongoing process of Reconciliation. Art has the power few other things do to keep the education going.”

Principal McKinney views the mural as a milestone, not an endpoint.

“We talk about how to support learning as we continue the journey of Truth and Reconciliation,” he said. “The scars that Philip carries are souvenirs that never heal and they are part of the truth. Our efforts contribute to Reconciliation and our students will carry that forward in beautiful, meaningful ways.”

Kastelic is eager to continue educating students about the mural and about Indigenous knowledges and culture.

“The mural is a very important piece of truth that should be on this land,” Kastelic said. “We are giving space and voice back to the Indigenous community.”

She says faculty will be developing resources to incorporate the mural into their teaching.

“Philip has a wonderful way of storytelling, and we’ll capture that on an audio recording, breaking it into smaller bites so that people can click on a particular symbol and hear Philip’s voice tell the story. It will be accessible to the entire community.”