A stunning mural of natural yet bright colours hangs in the McPherson Library at the University of Victoria.
On Friday (June 4), the Fearless Sisters Rising mural finally achieves its official blessing, in a ceremony streamed online for the public to witness.
At the Sisters Rising Indigenous Gender Wellbeing Forum at UVic in 2018, participants of all generations gathered for the Fearless Methodology developed by South Asian artist and social justice activist, Shilo Shiv Suleman.
That forum inspired the Fearless Sisters Rising mural – imagined and created by Lekwungen, Kwakwaka’wakw, Mowachaht and Nuu cha nulth artist Brianna Bear, Dine artist Nicole Neidhardt and the Sisters Rising network, including Indigenous youth from across Canada and South Africa.
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The mural came last year to the library, where it will be collectively stewarded by staff and community members. The June 4 blessing honours artists, stories and relationships integral to the story and stewardship of the mural.
Kinship Rising and the land/body/art Collective focus on restoring the connection between body and land/water wellbeing and sovereignty. Led by Indigenous young people and communities across B.C., the work calls attention to the ongoing, intersecting forms of gendered, sexualized and ecological violence impacting Indigenous young people and nations.
Learn more at kinshiprising.uvic.ca and landbodyart.uvic.ca. Residents can register for the online event at bit.ly/3i6iIG3.
