A large group of people gathered downtown to celebrate the giant mural that was painted over the summer to acknowledge the strength and resilience of Indigenous people and to honour their traditions. Jeannette Benoit-Leipert Meridian Source Photos
A dedication ceremony was held at the site of the Choose Love: Join Hands in Truth and Reconciliation mural project on Tuesday.
People gathered on the north side of the Saskatchewan Health Authority building to recognize the time and effort put in by those who made the mural a reality, and to discuss what it truly stands for.
“This project represents and acknowledges generational pain, and generational trauma. It encompasses the beauty of Indigenous culture. It stands for their strength and their resilience,” said artist Brandi Hofer, adding that no one could have prepared her and the other volunteers for the magnitude of the project.
“This project was one step, amongst many for this community—building a bridge together. Building a bridge and choosing compassion, choosing empathy and most importantly, choosing love,” said Hofer.
“This has been the honour of my life to learn, listen, and work with the most incredible people. And of course, the spark that lit this fire—the Lloydminster Region Health Foundation.”
The presentation was followed by a colourful celebration, with drum performances by the Littlewolfe family of Onion Lake, along with Indigenous dancers of all ages.
Everyone was invited to come forward and have their hand traced onto the lower section of the mural. Many local students took part in the celebration, and added their handprints to the work of art.
