From celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day and Indigenous History Month to unveiling new Legacy Spaces and hosting exhibits at Union Station, June was an incredible, jam-packed month! Check out everything we got up to below.
Legacy School students celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day at Scotiabank arena with Chanie and Gord’s families.
Over 1,300 students joined us in-person at Scotiabank Arena, with over 7,000 more tuned in virtually, to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day! Students enjoyed a special show with DWF Artist Ambassadors GR Gritt, the Strong Water Singers, and Classic Roots, all of whom highlighted the incredible contributions Indigenous peoples have made in Turtle Island and beyond. After the performances, students explored a variety of learning stations on Indigenous culture, music, history, art, dance, and more.
Pearl (Wenjack) Achneepineskum makes a paddle with her siblings’ names listed for the Paddling on Both Side education booth with Legacy School students.
Relive National Indigenous Peoples Day 2023 by visiting our website where you can watch the livestreamed concert, share feedback on the event, and check out photos from the event!
| NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY 2023 |
Chi miigwetch, thank you, for celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day with us!
Grade 6 students at École Confédération in Brantford, ON dedicated a portion of their space and science unit to learn about the 13 Grandmother Moons, and even created artwork for their school’s Turtle Moons bulletin board!
| LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGACY SCHOOLS |
DWF invites you to visit Union Station in downtown Toronto, Ontario to experience ‘We Are Still Here,’ a collection of vibrant and powerful pieces by Artist Ambassador Blake Angeconeb. With support from TD, a total of nine pieces were installed in the station’s West Wing and Oak Room to mark the beginning of Indigenous History Month.
Photo by Spring Morris.
Blake explains, “In Anishinaabemowin, Mino Bimaadiziwin means to live a good life. It is not only a saying, it is a way of conducting oneself. In my practice, I strive to put out good energy through artistic interpretations that evoke humour, conversation, observation, and reflection. As we walk our life paths, we note and experience moments, people, events, and issues – as individuals and as a community. Many of these experiences may have passed some while others lived through them profoundly. A reiteration of that event in the style of woodlands art may cause one to view and experience it differently. The art communicates across all walks of life to facilitate common ground for us to relate to one another in a good way. As we find our footing in our paths, it is with hope that this collection paves way for deeper connections, more colourful conversations, and a new outlook on how we live Mino Bimaadiziwin.”
Blake Angeconeb is seen here with Gord’s brother, Patrick Downie.
The exhibit features a portrait of Gord Downie titled ‘The Man Who Walks Among The Stars’, which will be gifted to the Downie family in Kingston later this year. Visit the exhibit in Union Station’s Oak Room and West Wing, located to the right of the Front Street entrance on the ground floor, from now until October 31, 2023.
Rogers Communications launched their third Legacy Space, and their first in Quebec, in Montreal at the beginning of April.
Take a look inside the latest Rogers Communications Legacy Space in their Montreal office! The fully bilingual space was launched earlier this year, led by Nicole McCormick, who is Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and is the Co-Chair of the Rogers Indigenous Peoples’ Network. Since their first Legacy Space was created in Toronto, Ontario in 2018, Rogers has launched two additional locations and is working on a fourth!
“By continuing to provide spaces and platforms to share Indigenous history and culture, Rogers is committed to amplifying Indigenous voices to foster great education, understanding and allyship across Canada. Our Montreal Legacy Space is one way we are taking action on our journey towards reconciliation, in partnership with Indigenous employees and community members and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund.” -Colette Watson, President, Rogers Sports & Media
The artwork inside the General Motors Canada Legacy Space was created by August Swinson and his son, Luke Swinson.
In May, General Motors Canada opened a Legacy Space inside their Markham Canadian Technical Centre. DWF staff and members of the Downie family were grateful for the opportunity to come together to mark GM’s commitment to reconciliACTION. A big thank you to the GM facilities team and the Indigenous Peoples Employee Resource Group for bringing this beautiful space to life!
The Legacy Space installation outside the Walmer Road Baptist Church is fully accessible to the public.
In June, TAS and the Walmer Road Baptist Church celebrated the creation of the first outdoor public Legacy Space at 38 Walmer Road in Toronto, Ontario. The installation features a mural by Dani Kastelein and a community garden that provides food to people in need and makes Indigenous medicines more accessible. The event featured dancing led by Cotee Harper along with teachings and performances from DWF Artist Ambassadors Philip Cote and James Wilson. As the building is restored, the Legacy Space will extend inside the church and become part of this welcoming, inclusive community hub for years to come!
| LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGACY SPACES |
Inspired by Chanie’s story and Gord’s call to build a better Canada, the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund aims to build cultural understanding and create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Our goal is to improve the lives of Indigenous people by building awareness, education, and connections between all peoples in Canada.
Phone: 1-844-944-4545
E-mail: staff@downiewenjack.ca
Address:
PO BOX 749
OHSWEKEN, ON
N0A1M0
A summer catch-up with DWF 