‘It’s a group effort’: Scarth Street artwork created to educate about reconciliation

Downtown Regina is being covered with more than 2,600 beads.

But these beads are not made of glass. They’re part of a hand-painted mural on the pavement of Scarth Street at the F.W. Hill Mall.

Geanna Dunbar and Brandy Jones are the lead artists behind the ‘Path To Reconciliation’ mural project.

Dunbar explained the importance of having volunteers and community members involved with the project.

“The path of reconciliation isn’t just for Indigenous communities,” she said Monday. “It takes everybody from everywhere to really work on reconciliation. It’s a group effort.”

Before starting the project, the artists met with Elder Brenda Dubois and Cultural/Indigenous Art Adviser Audrey Dreaver from the First Nations University of Canada for advice, eager to make sure they had the right intention and overall message for the project.

The mural tells different stories with each colourful bead.

Flowers and vines represent the land. Bison bones represent the history of colonizers overhunting bison to near extinction. Streaks of yellow, orange and purple depict the aurora borealis, which represents their ancestors.

“We believe that they’re always watching over us and guiding us,” said Dunbar.

Colours of the traditional medicine wheel — red, yellow, white and black — are also used.

The path has blue throughout to represent water.

“When rivers and oceans meet, they merge and live alongside each other and come together,” explained Dunbar. “I think that’s really good symbolism of us doing this project and bringing together community and people from different parts of the world.”

(Jill Schmidt/Submitted)

The project starts and ends with buffalo symbolism. It starts at the buffalo statue on Scarth Street called “oskana ka-asasteki” and ends with a white buffalo.

“White buffaloes are a sign of prosperity and good times to come for Indigenous people,” she explained.

The mural faced various challenges like extreme weather from both heat and rain, a collapsed fence and many touch-ups. Dunbar compared these challenges of the mural to reconciliation itself.

“Be uncomfortable with us. It’s about working together and being uncomfortable together. That’s what Indigenous people have to deal with every day,” she said.

Despite the complications, the mural is ahead of schedule thanks to all the volunteers who came out to help.

Dunbar also credited the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District and The Creative City Centre for the success of the project.

“They have been amazing allies to people of colour,” she said. “They have been able to help Indigenous artists like myself find that financial independence. They’ve always got our back.”

She said they have future projects in the works that will create even more jobs for artists of colour.

The mural is set to be complete by June 21, which is National Indigenous Peoples Day. There will be an opening ceremony for the mural and celebrations nearby in Victoria Park, weather permitting.