Painting begins on ‘Our Story, Our Wall’ mural to showcase Indigenous history following racist graffiti incident

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Community members, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, gathered at Treaty 8 offices in Fort St. John to send out a profound message in response to the hateful racist graffiti left on the building’s south wall last winter.

In February, the wall was vandalized with profanities and swastikas, prompting an RCMP investigation into the incident.

The Treaty 8 Tribal Association gathered with supporters for ‘Our Story, Our Wall,’ an event on July 7th to mark the beginning of a mural painted by Indigenous artist Alisa Froh.

Garry Oker and Trail Acko were on hand as part of the Doig River Drummers, alongside representatives from the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and sponsor R360 Environmental Solutions Canada.

Froh, a member of Bigstone Cree Nation in Alberta, said the inspiration for the mural came to her in a dream before she shared the details with Treaty 8 executive director Marlene Roy.

“I was painting a mural on a scissor lift,” said Froh. “I have never been on a scissor lift or driven one in my life, and I’ve never painted a mural before.

“I woke from my dream and I drew it out on my iPad, and I promptly sent it to Marlene. It has been a couple of years in progress, but Marlene and her team work behind the scenes a lot, and I’ve just been waiting patiently to come and paint it for her.”

Sponsors, including Northern Legendary Construction and Tourmaline Oil, helped prepare the wall and provided funding for the mural respectively.

The project will take approximately two weeks to complete.

Shane Nelson of R360 said his relationship with Roy went back “many years” and he wanted to help.

“As a long-term Fort St. John resident, I drive by this wall here,” said Nelson. “We’re grounded in the community and we know so many of the people that act of vandalism hurt.”

R360 provided a barbecue lunch for attendees, and the IRSSS’ Henry Morgan provided eagle fan brushing ceremonies for those who attended.

Similar to smudging, it is a traditional healing ritual for better mental, spiritual, emotional and physical health. 

Eagle feathers are fanned around the body in order to clear away negative and unwanted energy, creating space for light and renewal.

Morgan, a member of Gitxsan Nation northwest of Prince George, said providing this ceremony at the event is “about healing.”

“When you see that kind of message out there, it really creates controversy within everybody’s mind,” said Morgan. “Their morals, what do they feel is morally right and how do we respond to that?

“We just want to change how [people] see us or look at us, or even what we stand for. [We want to] have a better relationship. That’s all. Anything we strive to do is [for] a better relationship.”

The mural will depict an Indigenous woman holding the Treaty 8 medal against a backdrop of trees and a map depicting the Treaty 8 traditional territory.

It was displayed on a cake enjoyed by attendees after the barbecue lunch.

The medallion was given to the signers of the treaty, which northeast B.C. Indigenous peoples signed back in 1899.