The latest indigenous mural to show up in Timmins follows the staircase up to the second floor at City Hall.
Councillor Kristin Murray, in her capacity as a health promoter at the Misiway Community Health Centre, spearheaded this one, as she has with others. It was painted by Mique Michel, who has worked with youth on the earlier ones.
Murray says the colours pay tribute to the city’s mining background. It also features a large eagle feather — a very sacred item.
“When the eagle feather is above your head, it’s considered a blessing,” she explains. “So if an elder puts the eagle feather on your head, (it’s) a blessing and health and wealth and happiness. It’s kind of neat to have that message hidden in there. Not everyone would kind of pick up on that without knowing.
“And the hands, too. So the hands are not any one colour and that really represents Timmins, because there’s so many nations that exist here. So anyone who looks at those hands might be able to identify as opposed to just having it one shade. So you’ll notice it’s sort of like multicultural.”
One of the giant mining photos that were on the walls are now at the museum. The other two are at the Timmins Economic Development offices on Spruce St. S.