A painting that stands 15 stories high and depicts an Indigenous woman in a ceremonial outfit holding a feather high in the air with a full moon behind her was unveiled in Winnipeg Friday.
The artwork was done by Jeannie White Bird, a member of the Rolling River First Nation in southwestern Manitoba.
“It’s a work of love,” White Bird said of the mural. “We came up with a really good foundation because it was clear this mural needed to be about empowering the Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirited.”
White Bird grew up and raised her kids in Selkirk, Man. She said this mural reminds her of looking into a mirror and believes many Indigenous women and girls could see a piece of themselves in it as well.
“It was very powerful to my own spirit, very empowering to do this because, I am going to be, I am older than I have ever been, I had a birthday recently and in a couple of years I am going to be 60, so it was really neat to know that I could do this,” she said.
White Bird was commissioned to do the work by the province of Manitoba and had six weeks to do it.
“It was challenging but at the same time mother nature was on our side,” she said jokingly as she referred to the above average temperatures Winnipeg has seen of late. “And I think today was actually the coldest day so that was very kind and gentle for us, too.”
Manitoba’s Minister of Families, Accessibility and Gender Equity Nahanni Fontaine said this mural is part of her government’s greater Indigenous Women’s Strategy.
“For generations, Indigenous women, girls and two spirited have endured misogynistic, degrading, marginalizing, and harmful narratives systematically denying our worth,” Fontaine said, noting the NDP is working on changing those systemic issues.
“This mural serves as a direct and profound act of resistance, liberation and reclamation of our own narrative.”
The name of the mural is Giizaagiigo, an Anishinaabemowin word meaning you are loved.
It also has spirituality aspects painted into the design with the inclusion of full moon and water ceremony elements. The feather carried by the woman represents truth. The colours of the fringes on the woman’s skirt represent two-spirited people.
Cora Morgan is the special advisor on Indigenous women’s issues for the province. She said it was important for the mural design to be inclusive.
“We thought a full moon would be symbolic for everything that we want good for the women,” Morgan said, adding, “We also have representation of the Métis carried out in the floral depiction and we have the inukshuk to represent the Inuit women as well.”
Manitoba is expected to roll out its full strategic plan called the Greater Indigenous Women’s Strategy on Nov. 22. It is aimed at helping protect some of the province’s most vulnerable people.
