“First Nations people are resilient, strong, and creative. This new mural will reflect the strength and beauty of our citizens.”
– Grand Chief Daniels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2023
ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — Today, the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is announcing an opportunity for a visual artist from an SCO member Nation to honour Survivors, the children who did not return home, and those who are impacted by the residential and day school system in Manitoba. One artist will be commissioned to create the design of a mural.
“The Southern Chiefs’ Organization continues to honour Survivors and intergenerational Survivors of residential and day schools through our Survivors’ Healing Program. We also remember and honour the children lost to those devastating systems,” shared Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “To continue to bring visibility to this issue that impacts all of us, we are developing a mural that will be unveiled as part of the Wall-to-Wall Mural and Culture Festival. We invite visual artists with ties to SCO Nations to apply to take on this important project.”
The goals of the project are to honour Survivors of residential and day schools and the children who did not make it home; illustrate the realities that Survivors’ have faced; and highlight the resiliency of First Nation people. The artist will be selected this month, and will be invited to work on the mural from July to September 2023 with support from Synonym Art Consultation.
“First Nations people are resilient, strong, and creative,” stated Grand Chief Daniels. “I am pleased SCO is taking part in bringing a mural to life that will help to raise awareness about what our people have lived through. This mural will reflect the strength and beauty of our citizens. It will honour the legacy of our relatives who attended the schools, while also providing one of our talented citizens with the opportunity to further showcase their work and grow their presence in our community.”
SCO invites southern First Nation artists to submit three samples of their previous work, as well as a completed application form. The selected artist will receive $5000 and the opportunity to have their artwork displayed publicly in a prominent location in downtown Winnipeg. The deadline for artists to apply for this opportunity is Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 34 First Nations and more than 83,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.
For media inquiries:
Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca