When Northern College invited me to create sculptures of young Indigenous Shawl and Grass Dancers, I knew that the spirit of the artwork would be connection and continuity. The dancing children express sorrow for all that was lost, and the power of all that endures. The downward gaze of the Shawl Dancer connects with the upward glance of the Grass Dancer, creating an invisible tie. This tie speaks to the enduring strength of family, shared history, and culture. The left handprint on the Drum invites all who visit to join their own hand in greeting, friendship, and reflection. Thousands upon thousands of individual stories surround the terrible core of loss and fracture and cultural disruption experienced by Indigenous people. The stories belong to each Indigenous person, but the feelings are deeply human. As an artist, my hope is that this work will reach out to all who visit, and help them to reflect on those emotions, to learn about the stories or talk about them, and to feel the hope that dancing children bring. Creating this artwork was a deeply-felt privilege, and I’m grateful to Northern College for this chance to be part of an offering made in the spirit of reconciliation.
Video: Truth and Reconciliation Monument, Life-sized bronze, Locations: Northern College: Timmins Campus, Moosonee Campus, Kirkland Lake Campus, and Haileybury Campus, Unveiled September 2023
Tyler Fauvelle – Sculpture by Tyler Fauvelle
Video: ©2023 Tyler Fauvelle