Our Journey Toward Reconciliation
Onward Homes is deeply committed to building mutual trust and respect with the Indigenous community through learning and relationship building.
Together, we reflect on Canadian history with honesty and humility while striving for a society of equal opportunity and enjoyment.
Land
acknowledgement
Onward is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina, and the Îethka Stoney Nakoda Nations of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney. Mohkínsstsisi, the Blackfoot name for Calgary, is also home to the Métis Nation Region 3. We recognize all nations, genders, and spirits who make their homes here and help us steward this land.
Honouring the Buffalo: Bishop’s Manor’s Mural
Bishop’s Manor features a mural located directly across from our Wellness room. This artwork is a testament to the start of our organizational reconciliation journey.
First Nations artist Lance Cardinal (Bigstone Cree Nation) commissioned this spectacular 40-foot mural titled “Honouring the Buffalo”. Lance sought guidance and leadership from Elder Jackie Bromley (Kainai Nation), who offered her perspective and teachings from the traditional land that Bishop’s Manor resides on. This mural is an ode to the buffalo, an animal that is very important to the Indigenous people of Treaty 7. It also represents Respect, one of The Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings. According to Lance, “This teaching reminds us to honour and respect the important relationship between the animals, Mother Earth, and the people of the land.”
Lance Cardinal
Artist, Big Stone Cree Nation
Lance Cardinal (He/Him/His) is a proud 2-Spirit First Nations member of the Bigstone Cree Nation in Treaty 8 territory.
His home community is Calling Lake, AB. His ceremonial given name is Fire Bird and his artist name is ᐊᐧᒐᐢᐠ, meaning wacask or muskrat.
A peek inside our Wellness Room
Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Poelzer Family Foundation Fund at the Calgary Foundation, our organization incorporated a spiritual Wellness Room into Bishop’s Manor.
Through our work in the community, we recognized a need for residents to have inclusive spaces to practice their spiritual and cultural traditions in a safe and welcoming environment.
The Wellness Room was hand-painted with vibrant colours, outfitted with vents and a hand-carved wooden stump, designated for resting smudging tools. The horizontal strips adorning the walls are designed to represent the ribbon skirt, a traditional piece of clothing that honours Indigenous women and has become an expression of history, resilience, and character. This sacred space has large glass windows overlooking Tom Campbell Hill and provides ample natural light, giving this space the ultimate sense of tranquility and serenity.
We extend our sincerest gratitude to the Poelzer Family Foundation for their generous contributions that made the Wellness Room a reality. Deep gratitude also to Lance Cardinal, who guided the design and hand-painted the modern Indigenous petroglyphs in this space, Elder Jackie Bromley who offered her guidance throughout the process, and Chance Bellegarde who designed and hand-carved our Smudging Stump.
Chance Bellegarde
Artist, Little Black Bear Nation
Chance is an emerging Cree artist and woodworker from the Little Black Bear First Nation in Saskatchewan, and a proud father of three beautiful children.
To create his design, he sought out a local Blackfoot elder to respect the people whose land we occupy and seek their knowledge and blessing. They spoke about the relationship we have with the land and the water and how it is used for healing. The word “sapaatsi’ma’pii” was given to him and was described as meaning ‘inner peace and harmony’. After taking time to reflect, the vision came to him and he got to work. Each letter of the word “sapaatsi’ma’pii” and the mountains are hand-carved using a chisel and mallet. The stump was then sanded and finished with a product that is durable and produces zero VOCs so it is both child and food-safe. “I am so honoured to have my work included in this meaningful space. ah-hay (Thank you).”
Resources
Want to learn more? Check out some of the resources recommended by the Onward Team here
An ally recognizes that every person has a basic right to human dignity, respect, and equal access to resources. While we may not have had a direct hand in designing the injustices facing Indigenous people, we do have a responsibility to make it right. Download Calgary Foundation’s Treaty 7 Indigenous Ally Toolkit to use as a resource for your individual or organizational reconciliation journey.
Ally Toolkit
Online Course:
Indigenous Canada
The University of Alberta offers a 12-lesson online course which “explores key issues facing Indigenous peoples today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations.”
Read More:
Indigenous Housing
Learn more about Indigenous homelessness and housing at the official ASCHH (Aboriginal Standing Committee on Housing and Homelessness) website.
Employee picks for further reading
Explore these titles for more insight and Indigenous storytelling.
