An Ojibwe artist painted a mural in downtown Fort Saskatchewan in honour of June being Indigenous Peoples Month.
Ellie Lagrandeur was hard at work under a hot sun last week, painting a gigantic eagle feather near city hall.
"The city had approached me to paint it and I probably chose the hottest week of the year [to do it]," said Lagrandeur. "It was a great project to do and very meaningful for me."
The eagle feather holds a lot of meaning in Ojibwe culture and there was a specific reason why Lagrandeur chose it as the mural's centerpiece.
"In the seven teachings, the eagle signifies love and the eagle, in indigenous culture, is said to fly the highest and is also closest to the Creator," said Lagrandeur. "That is kind of the image I wanted under the wording."
"If you look at the mural, I actually have it shadowed on one side so it kind of gives it a three-dimensional design and it looks like it is sort of elevated."
The mural is meant to bring awareness to the 'Every Child Matters' movement which aims to bring more attention to the horrors of residential schools and the recent discoveries of mass graves at former school sites.
"Just so everyone is aware that every child matters, doesn't matter what colour [you are] or what your culture [is] or anything it's just always going to serve as a reminder," said Lagrandeur.
Those who are interested in seeing the mural can see it on the road right outside of city hall.
You can see more of Lagrandeur's work at Walmart as two of her art pieces are being featured on reusable bags at stores across the country.
@dreamcatchersgal #ECM sidewalk #mural by #ellielagrandeur #june2023 #fortsaskatchewan #ojibwe #artist ♬ Fawn Wood Remember Me - Wabinah