A three-panel work by Cayuga Woodland artist Kyle Joedicke brings the Haudenosaunee Sky Woman creation story into the heart of Hagey Hall.
By Rachel Doherty
The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) unveiled a commissioned three-panel Indigenous mural in the Don Craig Atrium in Hagey Hall on August 11, placing the Haudenosaunee Sky Woman creation story in permanent view at the centre of the School.
Cayuga Woodland artist Kyle Joedicke created the work. A Six Nations of the Grand River artist whose practice is rooted in Haudenosaunee stories and heritage, Joedicke is also the artist behind the University of Waterloo's Indigenous Warriors logo and mural inside the Tatham Centre. His latest mural now anchors one of the busiest gathering spaces in Hagey Hall, seen every day by the students, faculty and visitors who pass through it.
The three panels unfold in sequence: Sky Woman’s descent from the Spirit World, the growth of sacred plant life on Turtle Island, and the harmony of the natural world that sustains all life. Together, they trace a story of origin, care for the land, and the relationships that sustain a community.
Panel 1: The descent
Panel 2: Creation & teachings
Panel 3: Harmony & Turtle Island
During the event, Joedicke shared his reflections on the deeper meaning of the installation. “This work deals very intimately with a piece of knowledge and a teaching from my people's culture that speaks to the importance of community, and also the importance of reciprocal gifts in society and appreciating all that we've been given by Creator in the natural world.”
The unveiling drew University leadership and members of the Indigenous community on campus. Dr. Bill Rosehart, President and Vice-Chancellor, took part in the ceremony, alongside Elder Myeengun Henry, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper; Dr. Alexie Tcheuyap, Dean of Arts; and Dr. Blake Phillips, Director of the School of Accounting and Finance, who commissioned the work.
Elder Henry opened the gathering with a smudging ceremony, followed by insights on Indigenous teachings and the significance of the new panels to the space.“If we go back to our original Creation stories, Indigenous nations have always passed knowledge on from generation to generation. They carry wisdom, and there's always been a relationship to our past and to our future,” said Henry. “I've seen, just in a few short years, this university has adapted to the needs necessary for all of us to learn,” he continued. “We celebrate together all the cultures who are here, and we walk together on this path of unity.”
President Rosehart spoke next about the University's ongoing commitment to reconciliation and Indigenization. “I know there's more we need to do to celebrate and support our people, to amplify what we do as a community and what we do in our community,” Rosehart remarked. “This work of art is a wonderful example of what can happen when people come together with shared purpose. We walk into this space, and when we see these works, it brings a certain joy. But that won't compare to the conversations that will happen when people look closely and really start to understand all the messages that are said with this artwork.
For Dr. Blake Phillips, the mural is the result of a longer effort to Indigenize accounting and finance education at SAF. He has been a vocal advocate for weaving Indigenous knowledge and reconciliation into how the School prepares students headed into the profession. As the profession itself shifts toward a greater emphasis on ethical judgement and the human skills that underpin technical work, Phillips has framed incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing, sustainability and land stewardship as part of that preparation, so that future accountants understand the communities and relationships their work affects.
The artwork depicts the Haudenosaunee story of the Sky Woman’s descent to Turtle Island, a Creation story that speaks to our relationship with one another, with the natural world, and with the responsibilities we share as people.
It is a story of cooperation, reciprocity and the coming together of many things to create something larger than ourselves. I can't imagine a more fitting story for a university community.
The unveiling also marks the end of Phillips's tenure as Director of SAF. The mural stands as one of the lasting contributions of his leadership, a permanent feature of the School's home that will remain long after his departure.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.
