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Saskatoon Transit unveils bus shelter displaying Indigenous art

Saskatoon transit unveiled artwork by Indigenous artist Justine Stilborn. Saskatoon transit unveiled artwork by Indigenous artist Justine Stilborn.
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Bus riders will now be able to see a new piece of Indigenous art at a bus shelter on Confederation Drive.

On Wednesday morning Saskatoon Transit unveiled a bus shelter displaying Indigenous artwork as a commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action.

The artwork, designed by Indigenous artist Justine “Tini” Stilborn, is intended to capture residential school survivors’ hopes for the future. Stilborn worked with the Saskatoon Survivors Circle to find ideas on how to design the shelter.

“(The) artist really captured our thoughts, our words. We had to think about everybody in the past and even into the future. We had to think about that and how it affects us and the bus shelter tells that story,” residential school survivor Pauline Okemow said.

The bus shelter has three panels that each tell their own story. The left panel is red and focuses on the Sixties Scoop and how young Indigenous children were being taken from their homes and families.

The back orange panel displays the dark history of residential schools and the discovery of the unmarked graves. The right yellow panel was designed to “elicit a sense of freedom” as Indigenous people return to their cultural practices and reconnect with their ancestors.

“It’s kind of surreal now that I’m seeing it in person but it's very exciting, very unnerving. I have sweaty palms,” said Stilborn.

Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand was at the ceremony and said the bus will be used as an educational tool for the community.

“When I think about this public art piece, it’s just the beginning. It should be happening all over our city and this community in different areas to represent the understanding and education of what really happened to Indigenous people,” Arcand said.

Acting Director of Saskatoon Transit Tracey Davis says she’s proud to be a part of the project and found the process humbling.

“I have come from a generation that was not taught a lot about our Indigenous history here in Saskatchewan,” Davis said.

Saskatoon Transit has three other bus shelters displaying Indigenous artwork, located in the Broadway area, Adelaide-Churchill and Caswell Hill neighbourhoods. 

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