Bruce County council unveiled a new work of art as a part of its Indigenous Reconciliation Planning Initiative.
The artwork, which was created by 17-year-old Kennedy Cameron-Nashkewa, from Saugeen First Nation.
“Since January of 2022, we’ve been working through a comprehensive Indigenous reconciliation planning initiative. We’ve done this work with intention and with the guidance of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation, Saugeen First Nation, and with Indigenous peoples and organizations,” said Warden Luke Charbonneau. “One of the steps on this pathway was the careful development of our land acknowledgement and protocol, which we adopted at our second-annual joint Special Meeting on June 25, 2025.”
The piece created by Cameron-Nashkewa will have a permanent home in the council chambers.
The work is round, with an image of the land with a forest of trees surrounded by water, and a multi-coloured sky. The people on the land are shown doing various activities around a fire. The smoke from the fire drifts upwards, and twists into the image of a thunderbird in the sky.
Artist’s Statement:
“This painting symbolizes the connection that Anishinaabe people share with the land, and with that an Anishinaabe way of acknowledging the land, the ancestors, and the responsibility we carry forward. Centered in ceremony and connections, the imagery reflects our relationship to all living beings. Those who walk, swim, fly, and those who dance.
The figures in regalia honour the dances that bring our communities together in celebration and prayer.
The thunderbird is a helper to the spirit, who looks after Anishinaabe, they carry our thoughts and intentions to the spirit realm, reminding us that the land is alive, sacred, and listening. In the spring they return to renew life.
As Anishinaabe, acknowledging the land is in how we live, how we relate, and how we care for creation. This painting is my way of giving thanks to the land that holds us, to the ancestors who guide us, and to the generations yet to come. May this piece invite reflection, respect, and a renewed sense of responsibility. For we are all part of the circle.”
Charbonneau continued, “We are honoured to have this artwork hang here in the council chambers, and copies will appear alongside our land acknowledgement, as we begin to use it across the organization.”
