Artist: Jeffrey (Red) George (Ma-Mi-No-ga-boo)
One garage door features a land acknowledgement and art work by Ojibway Artist Jeffrey (Red) George (Ma-Mi-No-ga-boo).
Providing a land acknowledgement gives time for reflection and demonstrates recognition of Indigenous lands, treaties, and peoples.
It involves thinking about what happened in the past and present, and what changes can be made in the future in order to further the reconciliation process.
Acknowledging the traditional territory of Indigenous Peoples, whose ancestors were the first to inhabit, care for and live on this land, is a small and important step in the process of reconciliation.
We are on the traditional lands and treaty territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, which includes the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation.
We recognize and deeply appreciate the contributions that Indigenous Peoples have made, both in caring for this land and shaping and strengthening this community, this province and this country.
Learning and acknowledging Indigenous history and culture moves us towards a journey of truth, healing and reconciliation with the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON), the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) and the Historic Saugeen Métis (HSM).
The story behind the Seven Generations Artwork
(Red) George (Ma-Mi-No-ga-boo) is an Ojibway artist who grew up along the shores of Lake Huron on the First Nation lands of Kettle and Stoney Point. He connects with his mind and heart, with each of his paintings guided by the ancestral tradition of painting in the Woodland style influenced by Norval Morrisseau. Red is a renowned artist signed with Canadian Indigenous Art in Vancouver and a native flutist.
This vision was designed as an eagle feather, and you can see the image of an eagle’s head within. If someone receives an eagle feather, it is a symbol of great honour and respect. The eagle serves as a messenger for the earth’s people, retrieving prayers, and delivering them to the Great Spirit in the sky. The eagle flies the highest amongst all other birds which allows it to travel to the Creator’s realm.
The colour black represents a dark period in Canadian history in which many Indigenous children were taken from their homes and sent to residential schools, many run by churches, where they endured abuses on many levels.
The colour orange represents every child matters, especially the children who did not make it home and who were recently discovered in unmarked graves. It also represents the survivors who have suffered from the trauma subjected upon them.
The colour white represents the healing powers of prayer that lead us from a darkened past to a brighter future of hope.
The seven little circles within the eagle feather represent the seven sacred grandfather teachings – honesty, truth, love, respect, bravery, wisdom, and humility. These teachings were given to help humanity live a more harmonious and balanced life so that we would treat each other and the earth with more kindness.
This door is named in honour of the seven generations. This idea urges the current generation to live and cooperate for the benefit of the next seven generations that are to come in the future.
The Seventh Generation Principle is based on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois)* philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future. It is also important to keep in mind to create healthy relationships build on a strong foundation of trust and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
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