The public was invited to a walking visit at the Original Humboldt site just west of the city on Monday, June 23 to see, for the first time, an intricate and evocative large scale metal sculpture created by local artist Tyler Dies.
The sculpture rests on top of a small knoll at the site as a last tribute to the land, all people who settled on it, and the spirit of Reconciliation that is ongoing in the country.
The installation is impressive not just for its scale, but for the deep layers of meaning forged into every element. Dies is the creative force behind the work, which features a trio of interlocking rings and a monumental feather, inviting viewers to explore themes of connection, treaty-making, and cultural memory.
“The rings aren’t meant to represent anything specific numerically,” said Dies, reflecting on the installation’s form. “But they definitely express the connectedness of all peoples in the province — and in the world, really.”
Dies’ design incorporates three steel rings, each carefully angled and welded to evoke the continuity and circular logic of Indigenous worldview — including the traditional Hoop Dance, a major influence on the artist. “Through my research, I got involved with living heritage study groups and began attending pow wows,” he explained. “That absolutely drove the design of including the hoops. If I had infinite space and budget, I’d probably have built an animal shape from them — like they do in the dances.”
But it’s the feather — forged from over 10 segments of flat steel bar — that draws the eye and holds it. Its texture, scale, and visual weight carry symbolic resonance. “That came from a vision Louise Halfe had when we were out on the land,” Dies shared. “From that, it evolved in my mind to tell the story of the tools used to create the treaties we live with — and within — in this province.”
That story is not without the suggestion of tragedy. The feather is also a broken quill.
“It acknowledges the fracture between the words that were promised and the actions that followed,” Dies said. “Everyone who sees it is going to feel something different based on their past or their culture. I think that’s important. Everyone needs to see it and feel their own feelings about it.”
As the wind moves through the piece and the metal darkens with age, the sculpture is built to transform alongside its environment. There’s no artificial coating — by design.
“The metal is from the land and it naturally oxidizes,” Dies explained. “We wanted no maintenance, and also, it’s got a life cycle of its own now. It’s part of the land. It’s going to evolve as the weather changes it.”
From concept to completion, the process took time, effort, and no small amount of patience. “I spent a couple of weeks forging each piece of the feather. It took time. It took sweat - and patience,” said Dies.
The result is a sculptural work that can be approached from all sides, viewed from a distance or up close — with each perspective offering a different interpretation.
“There was a real challenge in designing it to be seen from all directions,” Dies said. “A lot of art is meant to be seen from one angle, but this one opened up so many opportunities to express something through form.”
At once elegant and raw, intricate and elemental, the sculpture stands as a physical, evolving conversation with land, history, and community. For Tyler Dies, it’s a testament to the power of art to create dialogue — even where language and treaties have fractured.
Visitors are encouraged to walk around the piece, take in its details, and reflect on what it brings forth for them.
“It’s not about telling people exactly what to feel,” Dies said. “It’s about giving space for those feelings to come through.”