All are welcome to witness and celebrate the unveiling of an art intervention beside the Speed River, at the site of the former Trans Canada Trail kiosk in John Galt Park.

This event announces a research project, titled “Decolonizing Place Narratives: Thatinatón:ni – Where the Rivers Meet,” which is engaged in “re-storying” the erasure of Indigenous presence in settler-colonial urban spaces. Led by Indigenous scholars at the University of Guelph, the project is actively collecting data from local archives, gathering oral histories, and conducting site visits to “re-read” locations of historical and cultural importance. The research will culminate in a future exhibition at Guelph Civic Museum and along the waterways in Guelph.

Created by Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) and German artist Alex Jacobs-Blum, the photographic mural is called “At the river’s edge, the Grandmothers are weaving tomorrow” (2024). The artwork was commissioned by the Decolonizing Place Narratives Research Collective in collaboration with Guelph Museums & Culture and Parks & Trails – City of Guelph and is funded in part by a grant from Trans Canada Trail.

Through the site-specific public art installation, Jacobs-Blum poses this question: “How can Indigenous relationships with the Speed and Eramosa Rivers reshape our understanding of the City of Guelph as an Indigenous place?” The photograph features a trio of “Grandmothers” standing in the rivers, featuring Valarie King (Mississaugas of the Credit), Dr. Kim Anderson (Métis), and Renée Thomas-Hill (Mohawk/Cayuga).

Positioned next to the Speed River, the mural aims to re-story the site from a contemporary Indigenous perspective, centre our relationships with the land and water in the place we call Guelph, and cultivate awareness among local residents about shared responsibilities in caring for these vital resources amid the climate crisis.

Meet the artist and members of the Decolonizing Place Narratives Research Collective at the art unveiling and celebratory gathering. Bring your portable lanterns, lawn chairs, and blankets. Dress for the season! Snacks provided by Pow Wow Café.

Thatinatón:ni – Where the Rivers Meet is a project of the Decolonizing Place Narratives Research Collective (University of Guelph) in collaboration with Guelph Museums & Culture, Parks & Trails – City of Guelph, and Trans Canada Trail.

Photo Credit: At the river’s edge, the Grandmothers are weaving tomorrow, 2024. Digital photograph (detail), courtesy of Alex Jacobs-Blum.