CONESTOGA COLLEGE
Courtyard mural by Indigenous artist unveiled at Guelph campus

A new mural by Indigenous artist Isaac Murdoch was launched at the Guelph - Speedvale campus, adding a splash of colour to the central courtyard in the newly renovated building.

"We're all part of something living and alive that's connected and weaved together, which is this Earth," said Murdoch, who is Ojibwe from Serpent River First Nation in Cutler, Ontario. "Through this connection we have a beautiful responsibility to the next generations to make sure the Earth is preserved and protected so that they can enjoy this beautiful Earth."

Murdoch pointed to some additions in his mural - a camel and giraffe - that may seem out of place, but these animals illustrate how the world is one great ecosystem. He hopes the artwork will inspire students who enjoy the outdoor space, which also includes gardens with native plant species.

"This can be a place where it can cultivate and be a nest for young minds to create and dream of a new future that can become a reality. We can't make a new reality unless we dream it, unless we believe that it can happen. That's what this mural is about, and it's about cultural diversity," Murdoch said.

Trish Weigel Green, vice-president, Students, said the building renovation was a chance to refresh the courtyard in a way that celebrated Indigenous traditions and knowledge. Curving over the courtyard is an arch that is representative of the Two Row Wampum, one of the oldest treaty relationships between Indigenous people and European immigrants made in 1613.

"It felt like a perfect opportunity to both create an outdoor space for students generally, but to infuse Indigenous culture in a really perfect and natural way that we could honour that as well making a beautiful, natural space for our students," Weigel Green said.

The mural is intended to celebrate Indigenous culture and educate the community through development of spaces like the Guelph courtyard with more to come. The renovated Waterloo campus will also include Indigenous art, as well as the second phase of the Conestoga Skilled Trades Campus now under construction in Cambridge.

"By bringing the mural to the campus, we not only wanted to celebrate Indigenous art but also embrace the values of respect, community and stewardship that it embodies," Weigel Green said. "I hope that this mural inspires reflection, conversation."

The artwork increases Indigenous representation on campuses and creates spaces where Indigenous students feel at home and that they can succeed, said Danielle Boissoneau, director of Indigenous Initiatives.

"We're really making it so that students feel welcome and comfortable," Boissoneau said. "Most of all that Indigenous students have the ability to overcome. We are more than the sum of our tragedies and when we see beautiful things like this pop up, it's an affirmation of that work."

Murdoch hopes the mural will encourage all students to see how everyone and everything is intertwined. He pointed to the river running through the scene, giving life to everything it touches along its journey through the land.

"The whole entire ecosystem of the world is connected," Murdoch said. "We're so connected that it's even hard to comprehend."

Conestoga's Be-Dah-Bin Gamik provides academic and cultural services and support for Indigenous students at Conestoga, including First Nations (status and non-status), Métis and Inuit. Visit Indigenous Service's website to learn more about initiatives at the college.