REGINA – First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) has unveiled a powerful, student-designed art installation that brings the university’s story to life through Indigenous creativity and voice.
Titled The Making of mino-bimaadiziwin at FNUniv: Our Story Through Our Students’ Art, the project weaves together visual art, poetry, music and dance to depict FNUniv’s history, cultural
legacy and aspirations for future generations.
At a Nov. 4 unveiling, the centerpiece mural, Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Today (pihcīnāko, wāpank šikwa nōnkom), was accompanied by the original song ê- kâwipimâtahk, a jingle dance, and student-written poems Homecoming and Heart Realm, each inspired by stories shared by Elders and the collective journey of SIFC/FNUniv.
Supported by the Mastercard Foundation’s EleV Program, the initiative reflected FNUniv’s enduring commitment to Indigenous-led, student-centred education and culturally grounded learning. Student and alumni artists collaborated to create the works, which were later digitized into a large-scale vinyl mural on the Regina Campus, with future installations planned for the
Saskatoon, Northern, and nēwoskan campuses.
“If there was to be a depiction of FNUniv’s story, we knew it had to come from our students,” said President Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann. “They are the living voice of this university. Through this project, they created a legacy that honours our past, celebrates our present, and inspires the next seven generations.”
The EleV + FNUniv Mural Project showcases how Indigenous art and education intersect to strengthen identity, belonging, and community. By centring student voices, the initiative embodied FNUniv’s belief that learning and healing can occur through creative expression and that art serves as a vessel for reconciliation.
