A new Indigenous mural adorns a wall in the cafeteria of the Châteauguay Residential and Long-Term Care Center (CHSLD). This project, carried out by Kahnawake artist and art therapist Megan Kanerahtenha:wi Whyte with CHSLD residents, aims to build bridges between the two communities and promote an inclusive living environment.
Translation Amanda Bennett
The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Ouest (CISSSMO) and health authorities in Kahnawake collaborated on this project.
“It’s a reminder that every person in our care has their own identity and that we must respect their cultural roots. Because it makes a difference in how we provide care and how the person receives it,” explained CISSSMO President and CEO Dominique Pilon at the inauguration.
Derek Montour, President of the Kahnawake Health Agency Centre, pointed out that members of the Indigenous community are often afraid to receive care outside of Kahnawake. « We entrust our health to your doctors, nurses, and caregivers when we are very vulnerable. Sometimes we are afraid that we will not be treated the same way, » he explained. According to him, art can help build bridges and teach us about one another when language is a barrier.
This is what artist Megan Kanerahtenha:wi Whyte observed while creating the artwork. “We can connect through creation. That’s what was beautiful,” she said.
The concept was created with the project participants. The artist asked them what they would like to see in the mural, what makes them feel at home. The residents painted with her.
The mural features several symbols of the Mohawk community, such as the bear, the wolf, and the turtle, which represent the three clans, the longhouse, and the strawberry, which in Indigenous culture is a medicine that connects us to our ancestors and spirits.
“We come from different places, but what connects us is our humanity and the Earth,” said the art therapist.
“I was able to bring my perspective, and they brought theirs.”
