The pillars flanking the doors to the chapel at The Salvation Army’s Weetamah church in Winnipeg welcome visitors with bright new images depicting the Seven Sacred Teachings that are valued and practised by many Indigenous people. Seven colourful animals are accompanied by traditional woodland-style motifs reaching to the ceiling, as well as freshly painted walls with pictures of a thunderbird and a teepee.

The sanctuary is the heart of the building, and everything that takes place here—the classrooms for literacy, upskilling and computer skills, the kitchen and food pantry that feeds the community, the gym that houses the Christmas toy program and other activities, and the spaces shared with other community organizations—flows from the centre. The new mural intends to make the entrance more welcoming, acknowledge the land on which the building sits, honour the people who visit the building and share the teachings with everyone who enters.

“Taking Action”

“The significance of the mural is a very explicit nod to the relationship we have with those whose homeland we have the honour of sharing,” explains Captain Ian Scott, who was the pastor at Weetamah when the mural was commissioned. “We felt it was a great opportunity to visually acknowledge the place in which we worship and create community and the connection to all people who come through the building.”

The mural was created by Manitoba artist David Boulanger, whose spirit name is Gwiiwizenz Dewe’igan niindigo, which means Little Boy Drum. He is Anishinaabe from Peguis First Nation. David teamed up with Robert Aymont to paint the walls, and his family helped paint the pillars.

David recalls the “happy accident” of being asked to paint the mural.

“My wife and kids and I were working in the building with a group of residential school survivors, sharing land-based knowledge and cultural practices on the land. A good friend referred us to Captain  Ian, and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to share a visual interpretation of some of our culture in the building as well.”

Captain Ian and David discussed their shared vision of expressing and sharing something symbolic of reconciliation, inclusion and indigenizing the space.

“There has long been a desire to be appropriate and relevant to all people in our community and this is a small step that will have such huge impact on creating that welcoming space,” says Captain Ian. “Also, the consideration was given that The Salvation Army is a signatory to the conditions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to do our part in taking action.”

A Family Affair

The mural depicts the Seven Sacred Teachings—courage, respect, wisdom, humility, honesty, love and truth—each represented by a different animal. The bear represents courage, the bison represents respect, the beaver symbolizes wisdom, the wolf represents humility, the sabe (or sasquatch) symbolizes honesty, the eagle represents love and the turtle stands for truth. The teachings, also known as the Seven Grandfathers, originate from the Anishinaabe people and make up the laws of living a good life in peace and harmony with all of creation and a moral respect for all living beings.

“I figured it was a good opportunity to share the ‘real’ understanding and open the conversation about the significance of these teachings,” says David. “We were hoping to begin the conversation about decolonizing the understandings of these words and meanings and help shed some light on our beliefs and practices through this mural.” 

“The significance of the mural is a very explicit nod to the relationship we have with those whose homeland we have the honour of sharing,” CAPTAIN IAN SCOTT

He has been a multi-media artist since the 1990s. His band, Burnt-Project 1, won Aboriginal recording of the year at the 2006 Juno Awards. David’s wife, Janine Twoheart, creates jewelry and authentic traditional art, culturaland ceremonial items for community and personal ceremonial use. 

“I started about seven years ago when I met David,” she says. “He introduced me to the culture because I didn’t grow up with it, and then it just blossomed from there. I really jumped into it, and it is something that I am very passionate about and genuinely love, making traditional art, learning, culture sharing and preserving beautiful traditions and practices.”

You can find her creations on Facebook and Instagram on her page By Niizhode. The couple’s four children, Mino’de (kindhearted person),Isbyming (the heavens), Nyaabe (looks in the future in a good way) and Aadizookaan (the legend/the collective knowledge of the people/the sacred stories), have always been surrounded and included in cultural activities and ceremony when the family visits and works in the community. The two eldest helped paint the pillars at Weetamah. Art is truly a family affair.

“It’s so beautiful to be able to share it with the family,” says Janine. “As the girls are getting older, they want to be a part of it, too. And they are our future. Because my family wasn’t very traditional, it’s beautiful to pass it on to our family, what we made together, so the traditions and practices live on.”

David has also been tapped to paint another mural for the Army’s Winnipeg Centre of Hope’s SonRise family shelter in the near future. 

Kristin Marand is the manager of communications for The Salvation Army’s Prairies and Northern Territories Division. With a background in media and a passion for weaving language and sharing stories, Kristin is a proud Métis on her own journey of reclamation.

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