The Skywoman and Turtle Island

Mural Routes Member(s): Allan Bender

Artist(s): Allan Bender, John Nobrega, Stacey Kinder

Category: Artist Mentoring, Creative Realism, Heritage, Realism

Narrative mural acknowledging the significance of the First nations creation story of the Skywoman and the significant contributions of women in their communities while settling in the Bowmanville and Clarington areas.
First Nations creation stories tell of how the earth began as a great island floating in space and was a place of eternal peace. From a hole in the sky in the land of the Great Spirit the Sky Woman fell down to the water below. With the help of animals and birds she landed safely on to the back of the turtle. Sky Woman then guided and counselled the various animals to swim to the bottom of the ocean to bring back dirt to create land. Muskrats succeeded in gathering dirt which was placed on the back of a turtle. This dirt began to multiply and also caused the turtle to grow bigger. The turtle continued to grow bigger and bigger and the dirt continued to multiply until it became a huge expanse of land. The land was called Turtle Island and the beginning of creation on the earth.

Commissioned by the Bowmanville Community, Municipality of Clarington.
Completed August 2020.