(Government of Alberta)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

in amiskwacîwâskahikan

Province unveils Kihciy Maskikiy/Aakaakmotaani on Legislature grounds

Sep 30, 2023 | 11:00 AM

On the grounds of the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton, the city also known as amiskwacîwâskahikan, a new garden now grows.

The garden, the province says, is meant to be a place to reflect, seek guidance and find solace. Its name is a combination of Cree and Blackfoot words, translating to “sacred medicine/save many people.”

Unveiled and opened Friday, a day ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Kihciy Maskikiy/Aakaakmotaani garden also features a sculpture to honour those who were subjected to residential schools.

The sculpture is called Mother Earth Circling: Healing from the residential school experience, and was created by Saddle Lake Cree Nation artist Stewart Steinhauer.

The monument fulfils the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 82nd call to action, which asks all provinces to commission monuments in their capital cities to honour the victims and survivors of residential schools. Alberta is one of the first provinces to complete this action, the government notes.

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“This garden is a meaningful and heartfelt symbol of Alberta’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples,” says Premier Danielle Smith. “It represents the resiliency, power and beauty of Indigenous cultures and traditions, and opening it today is a fitting way to lead into the Day for Truth and Reconciliation.”

Steinhauer’s sculpture includes many Indigenous petroglyphs and symbols that create a narrative about the history of Turtle Island (North America) and the impact of residential schools. The central theme of the monument is the need for healing from that trauma, according to the province.

A guide to interpreting it is online.

(Alberta.ca)

“We are proud to share this space with the public. We must acknowledge and understand the dark legacy of Canada’s residential school system and its intergenerational effects,” says Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations.

“Many thanks to the Elders and the Indigenous panel who helped guide us, and to Stewart Steinhauer for the remarkable sculpture. This is the kind of collaboration that is key to reconciliation.”

The garden itself, meantime, is centred around a linden tree, planted by Indigenous and government leaders two years ago as a symbol of reconciliation. It includes a medicine wheel, which is a sacred symbol of the four directions and interconnectedness of all things.

You’ll also find in the garden a series of small footprints pressed into the main path, representative of the many children who didn’t return home from residential schools.

“This garden is an incredible example of the work that we are focusing on towards truth and reconciliation, and we must accomplish that by working together. When you maximize resources and collaborate, we reach that goal much faster,” says Elder Bernie Makokis, Saddle Lake Cree Nation. “I am very grateful to the Government of Alberta for our ongoing partnership. We all have a large role to play in our communities, and I am thankful we were able to create this beautiful space.”

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is today, Saturday, Sept. 30.

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