Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Dana Porter Library is at the heart of the University of Waterloo main campus. An iconic building on a bustling campus, Dana Porter plays host to everything from solo study sessions to group board game breaks. As a place of connection for students, staff and faculty alike, it’s important for everyone in the campus community to feel welcomed.
“As part of the Libraries decolonization efforts, installing examples of Indigenous art not only enhances the beauty of our spaces, but also celebrate representation from several Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg nations,” says University Librarian Beth Namachchivaya, “This representation signifies that Indigenous people are appreciated, respected and celebrated in the Libraries.”
In recognition of National Indigenous History Month, the Libraries unveiled a mural in the Dana Porter Library lobby by Tehatsistahawi (Tsista) Kennedy (Hot Dog Water Art). An Anishinaabe Onyota’a:aka artist belonging to Beausoleil First Nation and Oneida Nation of the Thames, he is a self-taught artist and often creates his work digitally.
Tsista’s artwork merges the traditional aspects of his identity with his contemporary perspectives and personal stories thrown into the mix. Tsista’s variation of woodland style can be recognized by semi-bold black lines, intricate patterns and vibrant colors; all of which work together to make the artwork flow elegantly.
The mural now on the feature wall at the back of the Dana Porter Library brings together family, elements from the natural world and the Creation Story. Flowers connect three generations of a family, symbolizing its importance in the continuation of our culture and wellbeing of our communities; to the mouth of a turtle, acknowledging its place in the Creation Story that grounds us in the land’s importance to our family structures and culture; to deer and a moose, representing our food systems that sustain us. Finally, these florals connect to a bear and an ancestor, representing the carrying forward of our knowledge of the medicines and our traditional teachings.
Stop by Dana Porter Library to see the mural!
