Every Moccasin Tells a Story. What Does the Land Remember?

What if a work of art could open a conversation about Indigenous presence, history and treaty relationships? At Toronto Metropolitan University, the Moccasin Identifier Project brings these connections into focus through art, participation and reflection.

Join the Ted Rogers School of Management for an Indigenous education and arts session where participants can stencil a Wendat, Anishinaabe, Seneca or Cree moccasin onto a large mural planned as a future art installation at TMU. The experience also invites participants to engage with Indigenous art installations inside the building, including Indigenous History of the Land, a vibrant mural by Philip Cote created in collaboration with the Moccasin Identifier Project, and take part in a reflection exercise.

Each moccasin is a reminder of the enduring presence and ancestral histories of Indigenous Peoples. TMU is located within the Toronto Purchase Treaty No. 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Ojibway, the Haudenosaunee and the Huron-Wendat peoples.

During Indigenous Education and Treaties Recognition Week, this gathering offers an opportunity to explore how art can deepen understanding of the land, its histories and the treaty relationships that continue to matter today. Ontario established Treaties Recognition Week in 2016 through legislation (external link)  declaring the first full week of November as a time to recognize the importance of treaties.

About the Moccasin Identifier Project

Developed by Carolyn King in partnership with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the Greenbelt Foundation, the Moccasin Identifier Project promotes public awareness of significant cultural and historic sites and the ancestral presence of First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities.

Learn more at https://moccasinidentifier.com/ (external link) 

Accessibility

This event is wheelchair accessible. TMU is committed to the accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. If you require any additional accessibility accommodations to ensure your full participation.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email Sana Mulji at sana.mulji@torontomu.ca.