Remembering Spiritual Ancestry

Artist(s): Randy Knott

Producer: Mural Routes

Category: Heritage, Indigenous, Removed

Completed: 2000

Indigenous artist Randy Knott created this mural in honour of the Indigenous people who once inhabited or visited the area around the Scarborough Bluffs. Randy provided some insight into the images and symbols used in this mural:

The One-Winged Eagle: In the bottom left and right-hand corners of the mural is a symbol of a one-winged eagle. The one-winged eagle is my personal symbol and represents the struggle to triumph over adversity.

The Faces of the People: The faces of the people that frame the sides of the mural represent the faces of my ancestors as I see them today.

The Eagle: The eagle represents the guiding force that protects and brings all people together. Native People consider it a very great honour to receive an eagle feather as a gift. It is a symbol of peace.

The Native Elder: At the bottom centre of the painting is an image of a Native Elder, holding a piece of pottery. This figure serves as a reminder of the role of Native Peoples in Scarborough’s historical and cultural past.

Remembering Spiritual Ancestry was funded in part by the Canadian Millennium Partnership Program and The City of Toronto.

This mural was removed between 2012 and 2013.