New mural unveiled at Okanagan College honours residential school survivors

A new Indigenous mural was unveiled in the Okanagan College鈥檚 Health Science Building on Friday, Nov. 24.

Printed by fifth-generation residential school survivor and Sylix member Sheldon Pierre Louis, the 10x21 foot mural is to bring awareness to the impacts of the residential school system.

鈥淎s artists, we have a responsibility to use our work as a voice for those who may not have one,鈥� said Louis. 鈥淚 use my art as a platform to educate and that was the intent of making this. Every morning when the students walk into this room, I want them to be aware of our history.鈥�

A new Indigenous mural has been unveiled in @OkanaganCollege鈥檚 Health Science Building @麻豆精选CapNews @BlackPressMedia pic.twitter.com/LwNwZkvBdA

鈥� Jordy Cunningham (@CunninghamJordy) November 24, 2023

The mural, titled su蕯kncut鈥檚 prayers, is located in the college鈥檚 Health Science building, in front of the early childhood education room.

鈥淚mmediately, I knew that was significant and we would have to do something here to not only honour our children but to create awareness for those who are within the program and coming into our community spaces to work with our children,鈥� said Louis. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to understand that our children are unlike any other children in Canada, our children carry intergenerational trauma from the residential school system.鈥�

The nsyilxcen words 鈥渒史u swi蕯 nu虛 mtx蕯,鈥� painted on the mural, which roughly translates to 鈥渨e are beautiful.鈥�

鈥淭his is a reminder to our children that they are beautiful, and it is a reminder to our residential school survivors that they are beautiful,鈥� added Louis.

The centrepiece of the mural represents Louis鈥� son and the breaking of cycles while the orange flowers represent the 215 children from the Kamloops residential school who never made it home. The woman in the mural represents a motherly spirit and ancestor.

鈥淭he mural signifies Okanagan College鈥檚 lasting commitment to advancing truth and reconciliation at our campuses,鈥� said Okanagan College director of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation Rhea Dupuis. 鈥淎s a post-secondary institution, it鈥檚 important to remember that the impact of the Residential School system continues to this day, and this mural serves to remind us of that.鈥�

Okanagan College president Neil Fassina also spoke at the mural unveiling.

鈥淲e want to able to try and create that space of welcoming and space of learning,鈥� said Fassina. 鈥淓veryone that joined us today, I hope you鈥檝e taken the words that have been spoken. I would encourage you to disgust them, I would encourage you to reflect on them, I would encourage you to think about what they mean to you.鈥�

The mural was also possible because of financial support from community donors Kelly Rockvam, her daughter Sianna and the KiraGoodFund.

鈥淢any of us look at September 30, as a date on the calendar but Sept. 30, can鈥檛 be a date on the calendar. Sept. 30, is a reminder, it鈥檚 something that needs to be reminded daily,鈥� added Fassina.

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