Local First Nations artists have donated their creative artwork to three Interior hospitals, as a way of representing the traditional and modern Syilx experience in the Okanagan territory, and to allow both First Nations and non-Aboriginal people alike to feel comfortable and welcomed when visiting the hospital.
On Wednesday, October 7th, member of the Okanagan Indian Band Sheldon Pierre Louis debuted his one-of-a-kind piece to an eager crowd at the Kelowna General Hospital.
His artwork is entitled Pica, which is a Syilx word meaning digging stick, points to the importance of returning to the land.
“The relationship has always been a mutual one, where they take care of us and we take care of them. The obligation and inherent responsibility we carry for these lands is an integral part of every aspect of our culture, our traditions, and our communities,” said Louis in an expert pertaining to his piece.
Artists David Wilson and Les Louis will also have their paintings showcased in the Vernon Jubilee Hospital and the Penticton General Hospital, respectively.
The paintings were commissioned by the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) to commemorate a long standing effort on the parts of the ONA and Interior health to foster a positive partnership.
“Art is a very unifying force and it’s also one of the greatest gifts that our First Nations people have given to Canada—is their beautiful art, their depiction of their land, and their traditional ways of life,” said Christianne Kearns, Nation Health Planner at the ONA. “So these paintings being in the hospital are meant to symbolize that you’re welcome here: that this is your territory; and to feel an ownership in the hospitals, to feel as though they are comfortable here and to feel respected for their cultural differences, and sometimes for their different views on medicine.”
The partnership was first established back in June, 2012, and suggests that both partners will work together to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people and to deliver appropriate and culturally safe health-care services.
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