'We Are All Related'
Sculpture symbolizes the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people
"We are all related." These words inscribed on the base of a new sculpture at the University of Alberta serve to remind the campus community of its commitment to working toward respectful, meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
The granite monument The Sweetgrass Bear, sculpted by Indigenous artist Stewart Steinhauer, was unveiled at North Campus's main quad during a pipe ceremony. Elder Jimmy O'Chiese spoke to nearly 60 university and Indigenous leaders and community members of the importance of balancing traditional Indigenous and western education and languages. He said we must recognize the past, accepting that it cannot be changed, and move forward together.
"The Sweetgrass Bear reminds us that we are all treaty people," said U of A President David Turpin. "She is a symbol of our relationships."
The installation of the sculpture coincided with the 140th anniversary of the signing of Treaty 6, the territory that encompasses the university's campuses. The sculpture is the first of four Indigenous art pieces that will be installed as part of a larger initiative to diversify cultural representation across U of A campuses. There is a smaller version of The Sweetgrass Bear in Enterprise Square, and Treaty Bear is on Augustana Campus.
The U of A community took a stand against racism after anti-immigration posters appeared briefly on campus in September. Posters targeting the Sikh community with obscene and racist language faced immediate backlash on social media. President David Turpin appeared in a video with Yadvinder Bhardwaj, president of the Indian Students' Association, encouraging people to "make it awkward" - referring to a Twitter hashtag popularized after racist confrontations in Edmonton. In a further show of support, people lined up in the Students' Union Building to have turbans tied by volunteers from Edmonton's Sikh community. "We are sending a message: it means that we are all united," says Bhardwaj.
The university hosted the Building Reconciliation Forum, a national gathering in September that brought together Canadian university presidents and leadership teams, First Nations, Métis and Inuit groups, student leaders and Indigenous scholars to discuss how post-secondary institutions in the country can take action on truth and reconciliaton. The forum was in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action, 11 of which relate directly to education.
Post-secondary students in Alberta are getting a reprieve from a tuition hike for the 2017-18 academic year. The provincial government announced an extension to the existing tuition freeze while it undertakes a tuition review. The review will incorporate feedback from post-secondary institutions, student advocacy groups, industry and others. A new approach to tuition and fees is expected to take effect for the 2018-19 academic year.
The Golden Bears soccer team won its first national championship since 2006, beating the Université du Québec à Montréal Citadins 1-0 in November. It's the fifth time in school history that the team has won the title.
We at New Trail welcome your comments. Robust debate and criticism are encouraged, provided it is respectful. We reserve the right to reject comments, images or links that attack ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation; that include offensive language, threats, spam; are fraudulent or defamatory; infringe on copyright or trademarks; and that just generally aren’t very nice. Discussion is monitored and violation of these guidelines will result in comments being disabled.