The Great Law of Peace: Indigenous mural unveiled at the Tatham Centre
By: Christie Zeb (she/her)
Kyle Joedicke, Cayuga woodland artist, creates a new mural for Co-operative and Experience Education (CEE) to represent unity and community.
Kyle Joedicke (he/him)
Kyle Joedicke (he/him) is a self-taught artist from Hamilton, Ontario. As a child, he grew up loving art. He enjoyed spending his time doodling and making collages from magazine clippings.
During his teenage years, Joedicke experienced racism and an identity crisis. With a mother of Scottish descent and a father from the nearby Six Nations of the Grand River, he struggled to figure out where he fit in his community. Both his Indigenous and non-Indigenous background left him with many questions.
To connect with his roots and learn more about his cultures, Joedicke turned to his first love─art. He began to paint Indigenous graffiti on canvasses, to tag buildings and to express himself through art.
Even though he loved art, Joedicke didn’t envision his hobby growing into a profession. However, in 2020 when he was laid off from his construction job, he decided to focus on honing his craft. He experimented to find what art form helped him to best express himself.
Joedicke’s work reflects the stories of his Haudenosaunee cultural heritage. When the University of Waterloo’s Co-operative and Experiential Education department approached him about creating a work of art, he looked for parallels to his culture for inspiration. The Tatham Centre (TC) building is a hub of activity each term when hundreds of students from diverse cultures and backgrounds come together as they start their co-op terms.
This concept of the coming together of students in TC inspired him to paint a mural that tells the story of the coming together of Five Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy—Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk and Onondaga.
This story mirrors the commitment that the students at the University of Waterloo undertake to maintain a healthy and peaceful on-campus community.
A symbol of unity and community
Joedicke’s vibrant artwork now welcomes students and visitors into the Tatham Centre.
Titled, “The Great Law of Peace,” the mural's scene depicts leaders of the Five Nations and the great peacemaker gathered around a pine tree. As Joedicke explains the story that inspired his work. "With guidance from the great peacemaker, the nations dropped their weapons under the tree known as the tree of peace and pledged to end their war."
Like the great peacemaker who ended the war among the Five Nations, Joedicke hopes students feel inspired to be problem solvers and peacemakers wherever life takes them. He also wants the mural to make students feel included when they walk into TC.
Featuring bright colours and vibrant patterns, the mural creates a captivating and lively visual experience. It symbolizes peace, inclusion and a sense of community. “The teaching speaks to a broader sense of the coming together as a community. It emphasizes the need to lay down your differences to move forward as a society,” says Joedicke.
Joedicke began with a sketch and extensive research into the cultural teaching of "The Great Law of Peace." He spent more than 40 hours over six days painting the piece.
“I was given the freedom to create what I felt would be meaningful for the space. I'm also in a position of re-educating myself on my culture, so it involved a lot of detailed research on the subject matter. I'd never want to come towards any of these murals in a disingenuous way,” says Joedicke.
Waterloo alum and supporters, Mary-Ellen Cullen and Steve Menich generously funded the mural project. They are long time supporters of the University, including funding Waterloo co-op students.
The Menich’s donation to the mural project supports the University’s Indigenous strategic plan. “When people come in, ask questions about the art and read the plaque, it’ll give them a different perspective on life. We will also reach a large audience by having that piece in a location like the Tatham Centre,” said Menich.
As lovers of Indigenous art, the couple is excited about the mural’s impact on the student community.
“It tells a beautiful story, offering many the chance to learn and appreciate the art,” said Cullen.
CEE commissioned the mural project as a step in its commitment to truth and reconciliation. The department aims to strengthen ties between the university and the Indigenous communities through this project.
From creating art to as a hobby, Joedicke’s body of work has become a reference point for Indigenous teachings. He has been commissioned to create murals in major cities and educational institutions.
Seeing the impact these pieces have on people’s day-to-day lives has been one of the most eye-opening experiences for me being an artist.