Brandon's Keystone Centre introduces its first Indigenous mural

A new mural depicting an Anishinaabe creation story is now the last thing people will see when they leave the Keystone Centre in Brandon, about 215 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

The painting, above the main doorway of the community centre, shows the area where the Keystone meets the land and sky and artist Jeannie Whitebird hopes it will inspire visitors to think about reconciliation and their place in Brandon's growing, diverse community.

"This is where this message needs to be.… Everybody who's coming in, everybody who's going out, they're the ones who are going to be able to see that," said Whitebird, a Rolling River First Nation artist, who lives in Selkirk, about 40 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Bimaadiziwin, which means The Journey in the Anishinaabemowin language, was created by Whitebird and her collaborator Charlie Johnston. The mural depicts geese flying across the land and water and features woodgrain  patterns.

"As Indigenous people, we are intrinsically connected to the land, to the sky, to the water, and those elements have voices," Whitebird said. "We incorporated that into the design and into the piece because those are voices that need to be heard and be put up onto the high public radar."

A plaque will accompany Bimaadiziwin explaining the creation story, while encouraging people to embrace their interpretations of the art. Whitebird said it can help build bridges of friendship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Brandon.

The artists carefully scoped the building to find a spot that would have the biggest impact on those who visit the community hub. The sprawling mural will be seen by more than 1.2 million people each year at the centre, which hosts events like Wheat Kings hockey, Ag Days and the Brandon Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.

The mural is the longtime collaborators first piece in the Keystone and in Brandon.

The centre reached out to Whitebird, who has done murals in Winnipeg and Selkirk, to create the piece because they like her art, said Jared McKenzie, the Keystone's director of marketing and ticketing.

"The art itself is incredible and I think people will be wowed by it," McKenzie said. "The acknowledgement that … we are a diverse community and that the Keystone Centre is here to support everyone and having that be sort of front and centre is important."

The plan now is to have more art at the Keystone, McKenzie said.

Johnston, who is non-Indigenous, said Bimaadiziwin is an opportunity for people to think about the role they have in reconciliation, creating a healthy community and where they fit in Brandon's cultural mosaic.

The mural is a chance to nurture traditional Indigenous voices in a healing way through public art, Johnston said. It is also meant to encourage people to think about how they can be a part of reconciliation at the grassroots level.

"We shouldn't wait for some big federal mandate to engage in the process. We should be looking at reconciliation on a personal level," he said.