THE BATTLEFORDS — A work of art has been created to pay tribute to Indigenous youth who attended the Battlefords Industrial School.
“I see lots of people gently approaching the sculpture one on one, in a very introspective way based on their own lived experiences. I think it'll be a real quiet moment of reflection and prayer and high emotion,” said Leah Garven, curator and manager of galleries at the city of North Battleford, as she envisioned how the art will make a difference in the community.
The life-sized bronze sculpture, titled "Annie Peyachew," – A little girl standing on her own, with beaded moccasins and holding on to the smudge bowl where she would burn sweet grass to pray.
“It's a very sweet little sculpture that is. Its diminutive nature just adds to how powerful the sculpture is. It's been a long time [four years] in the works,” Garven added.
Annie Peyachew was one of the hundreds of Indigenous youth who attended the Battlefords.
The Annie Peyachew sculpture will be unveiled on Friday, Sept. 27, at 11:15 a.m., at Central Park in North Battleford, next to the Public Library (13th Avenue and 101st Street). Lt.-Gov. Russ Mirasty and Donna Mirasty will attend the ceremony, followed by a luncheon.
The sculpture, completed with funding from Canadian Heritage and The Battlefords Industrial School Commemorative Association (BISCA), is designed to honour residential school survivors and memorialise those who passed away.
Artist Lionel Peyachew has designed it so people can interact with the art installation by giving an offering of tobacco and saying a prayer, or smudging, with plant materials like sweet grass or sage, Garven explained.
Peyachew said that “Annie Peyachew” has a special place in his heart.
“A lot of mixed emotions went through my mind when drawing and doing the concepts for this piece,” recalled Peyachew when he found out four years ago, that among the roughly 80 students buried on the site, one was his great-great-grandmother.
Annie died at seven years of age in late 1911 and was interred on the site of the Industrial School Cemetery.“It's wonderful to see it come together and have it complete and to carry out their original vision in such a respectful way,” Garven said. “It's very, very difficult to approach such a sense of topic respectfully without causing further harm to people.”
“Anything we can do to remind ourselves and future generations of this history that's brought us to where we are is really important,” she said.
From the Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Peyachew has examined the Indigenous stories, and reconciliation, throughout his career as an Indigenous artist, advocate, and associate professor at the First Nations University of Canada.
“I think art has a place in the world where we need to educate while enjoying the work itself.
“As long as I have hands and I'm able, I will continue doing work that’s very useful for educating people on the history of Canada,” he said.
Peyachew said he would love to see the sculpture installed in a central space where people can meet, and start their walks and commemoration.
