Indigenous expressions and art shine through Kingston Health Sciences Center (KHSC) and the Regional Cancer Program in a step toward reconciliation.
Three new art installations by Indigenous artists will soon be on display across Kingston Health Sciences Center (KHSC) as part of a regional project to support cultural inclusion and healing in hospital environments.
The Indigenous Spaces and Places in Healthcare initiative, developed in collaboration with the Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Ontario Health Team, KHSC, and Three Things Consulting, brings locally created, culturally significant artworks into hospital spaces visited by hundreds of thousands of patients each year.
The three selected pieces—Chanelle Blair’s ‘sikkersoq’, Jaylene Cardinal and Dakota Ward’s ‘The Medicine Connection’, and Mance Granberg’s ‘7 Spheres’—were selected through a collaborative process involving KHSC, the Southeast Regional Cancer Program, the Southeast Indigenous Cancer Council, and the KHSC Indigenous Staff Community Group.
“There isn’t just one voice, one way, or one perspective,” Micki Mulima, KHSC’s director of mission, inclusion, and organizational development, said in an interview with The Journal. “Each artist brought a different background and experience.”
One piece will be installed in the Mamawi Room at KGH—a space dedicated [to] Indigenous cultural practice. Another, chosen for its themes of childhood and healing, will be displayed in the Children’s Outpatient Centre at HDH. A third piece, a living medicine wheel made with moss, wood, and glass, will be placed near a central entrance at the KGH site.
Mulima emphasized the value of considering emotional and cultural well-being in healthcare spaces. “We recognize that [wellbeing] isn’t just about the machines and the equipment, it’s also about tapping into that mental and emotional side,” she said.
“Most people who come to a healthcare environment may feel stressed because they might be ill, injured, or supporting a loved one. If they can see something that brings out that sense of human connection and healing, and also beautifies the space, that’s a part of healing,” Mulima said.
According to Mulima, the installations are part of a broader set of inclusion initiatives at KHSC, including Indigenous learning circles for staff and policies to support Indigenous cultural practices in healthcare.
Beyond representation, Mulima recognized that the installations also serve an educational purpose for staff and visitors. “Education doesn’t need to just be a training or course that people take,” she said. “It can also be represented in art, because art tells stories—it reflects and respects the people that we serve.”
Though the artworks haven’t been installed due to preservation considerations, Mulima noted the feedback regarding the project has been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s very heartwarming for people to know that we did this,” Mulima said. “People who have seen it have been heartened.”
The artworks are expected to be on public display in the coming weeks.
Tags
First Year in Focus, Healing, Indigenous Art, Kingston Health Sciences Center, Reconciliation
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