Spitzee Elementary School in High River is paying tribute to the Blackfoot Nation with a mural and Indigenous bustle added to their centre of learning.
The mural was painted by local Blackfoot artist Jared Tailfeathers, who also contributed a tree carving that was recently unveiled at George Lane Park.
A bustle (a piece of Indigenous regalia) was also given to the school by the Barstad family.
Elder Virginia Aldoff Pinay was in attendance as she has played a big part in Spitzee school's culture in her role as the students' Kohkum (grandmother).
Principal Shannon Culbert opened the unveiling ceremony, and Vice Principal Bill Holmes gave the land acknowledgment.
"The name Spitzee came from the Blackfoot word "Ispitzee” for high. They call this section of the country Ispitzee due to the tall cottonwood trees that grew along the Highwood River bottom near the medicine tree," Holmes said at the unveiling.
Tailfeathers' mural depicts real locations in the area and what they would have looked like many years ago.
"I tried as much as possible to get all of those places really close and what is really important here with all the really good landscapes. I tried to do it with the actual direction they are pointing.," Tailfeathers explained at the unveiling.
"It was also important for me to feature somebody living here, tools, and traditional methods of making. I actually don't put people in my paintings very often, I usually just like the landscapes, so this was special in that way to include a person."
After Tailfeathers unveiled the mural, special guest Saa'kokoto came up to give the blessing of the bustle that was given to the school by the Barstad family.
The mural will serve as a friendly reminder of the history of the land. Tailfeathers also added that the paint he used glows under a black light.