On Saturday, a special ceremony for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation happened in George Lane Park.
Local Indigenous Blackfoot artist Jared Tailfeathers. Tailfeather's traditional name is Silkomh Kokomii which means Calling Crane and has been working for months on an old cottonwood tree. The tree is estimated to be well over 100 years old, which could predate the formation of the Town of High River.
His design represents one of two trees that will comprise his work entitled 'Pillars of the River'.
Local resident Lee Peckham was the person who had the original idea, sharing it with the Town of High River who then was able to help the project come to fruition.
Peckham and Deputy Mayor Jenny Jones and Councillor Michael Nychuk were on hand to accept the offering from Tailfeathers and acknowledge his contribution to the town.
Tailfeathers says he still has a few things to touch up and add to the first tree carving but he's pleased with how it turned out.
"One of the things that you'll see is a circle of tipi's, the circle of mountains, buffalo jumps in the Foothills, also star symbols and the sun, as well as symbols for the Okotoks Erratic, the Medicine Tree as well as all the Treaty 7 symbols to represent the Treaty 7 nations."
Chief Mountain is also represented with clouds and lightning above, the Highwood River is represented too, along with various pictographs of local animals.
Stoney Nakoda singer and dancer Travis Jimmy John and his brother Clifford were also on hand with a family of dancers singing and drumming. Coming in from Eden Valley they performed a welcoming ceremony followed by a traditional sneak-up dance with three young dancers and a women's stationary dance. The event ended with a Friendship Circle dancing to the drumming while holding hands and dancing in a circle around the carved tree.
Tailfeathers also explained the significance of the Cottonwood trees to Indigenous peoples.
"Cottonwood has lots of traditional meaning because of its big limbs we would use some traditionally as a place for burials but also for making traditional offerings. Like Travis, one of the drummers mentioned, we also use them as our center pole for the Sundance and it's also a symbol for fresh water."
The special day coincided with Orange Shirt Day on Monday, September 30.
The Town of High River lowered the flags at Town Hall on Monday and raised the 'Every Child Matters' flag.
Tailfeathers will also be on hand Tuesday, October 1 for an unveiling of his mural in Spitzee School from 6 to 7 p.m. and all are welcome.
Spitzee school also holds a special place in the town's history as the Blackfoot Nation called the area Ispitzee, which means "place of high trees along running water" before European settlers arrived.
The mural reflects a lot of pre-European contact just like the tree carving encapsulating the local landscape with lots of animals, especially birds.