City of Waterloo honours National Indigenous Peoples Day with new artwork in Waterloo Public Square

Each year the City of Waterloo marks Indigenous Peoples Day by partnering with an Indigenous artist to create original artwork in Waterloo Public Square. The artwork serves as a visual reminder of the territory and land on which the city was founded. 

This year, artist Maddie Resmer of Western Sky Designs, has created a connection themed mural. Maddie is a mixed-Anishinàbe, Bear Clan, and Two-Spirit artist from Pìkwakanagàn First Nation and Kitigan-Zibi First Nation, based in Kitchener, Ontario (Haldimand Tract Treaty Territory).

The artist’s statement describes the piece as:

A circle of lifeforms moves together, each shape holding space for the next. This year’s mural honours the Anishinàbe worldview of interconnectedness, illustrating how all beings — animals, plants, sky, water and land — are woven together into the delicate fabric of life. The gentle flow of forms reminds us of the humility required to know our place within, not above, the natural world. In this circle, the anishinàbe (person) is no more vital than the makwa (bear), nor is the ininatig (maple) greater than the nigig (otter). However, as we each lose empathy for (and connection to) the beings around us, so too do we lose one of nature’s greatest assets: diversity.

“In a time of growing division and unchecked individualism, our collective well-being depends on embracing these decolonized visions — futures rooted in balance, reciprocity, and care for all our relations,” said Maddie Resmer of their work.

Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated on June 21 of each year, coinciding with the summer solstice, the longest day of light in the year. This symbolic moment invites us to look ahead with hope, toward a future where the recognition and celebration of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and cultures continue to grow.

Learn more about the design and story behind this year’s National Indigenous Peoples Day mural on the CreateWaterloo YouTube channel. 

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Media contact:
Jennifer Reed
Corporate Communications
jennifer.reed@waterloo.ca