Teachings behind the Kitao’wahsinnooni murals connecting people, land and history

    · 5 min read

    When Alex Kwong set out to create his RiverWalk mural series, Kitao’wahsinnooni: What Sustains Us, he embarked on an in-depth process of listening and learning that led to a meaningful conversation with Elder Rod Scout.This encounter inspired the title of the project and is an example of how public art can create opportunities for relationship-building, knowledge sharing and understanding. As the CMLC team reflected on our own journey toward reconciliation, we had the opportunity to learn from Elder Rod Scout through a conversation inspired by the project and the teachings that helped shape it.

    Kitao’wahsinnooni: What Sustains Us is the sixth and most recent installationcommissioned through Calgary Municipal Land Corporation’s (CMLC) Art in the Public Realm program and resulted in six large-scale murals that can be found along Jack & Jean Leslie RiverWalk, each portrait telling the story of people whose lives are deeply connected to the river.

    Elder Rod Scout and artist Alex Kwong in front of Rod's portrait from Kitao’wahsinnooni: What Sustains Us

    As steward of the East Village master plan, these murals and the conversations that inspired them highlight the history and significance found in the land we care for. East Village is located at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, which has been an important gathering place for Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. Jack & Jean Leslie RiverWalk, running along the edge of both rivers, has become part of this story, connecting downtown Calgary and East Village to the river and providing the backdrop for Alex’s murals.

    The title for the project was inspired during an early conversation Alex had with Elder Rod Scout. Drawing upon a deep well of Blackfoot cultural knowledge as a respected Elder and ceremonial leader from Siksika Nation, Rod shared insights that helped shape Alex’s understanding of the area and inspired the title of his project - Kitao’wahsinnooni.

    “Kitao’wahsinnooni is a Blackfoot word that means what sustains us, what feeds us…” Elder Rod Scout

    “Kitao’wahsinnooni is a Blackfoot word that means what sustains us, what feeds us,” Elder Rod Scout shared with CMLC staff. “It is the land that gives us life. We only have one world, and we have to take care of it.”

    For Alex, Kitao’wahsinnooniresonated immediately. “As soon as Rod shared that word I was struck. It became the guide for the whole project and the thread that tied everything together and gave it all meaning.”

    Artist Alex Kwong receives a gift of beadwork from Cindy Daniels, wife of Elder Rod Scout, alongside Alanna Bluebird at the mural opening celebration, on June 27, 2025.

    Rod spoke about how the murals remind us of our connection to each other and our shared relationship to the river, which sustains all life. The murals feature community members, each with unique stories and backgrounds, each drawn to the river in different ways. Together, their stories reveal the common threads that connect us through the land and water, and the ways the river continues to shape our lives in return.

    “Educating people [through art] is a form of reconciliation.”
    - Elder Rod Scout.

    “Educating people [through art] is a form of reconciliation,” says Elder Rod Scout. “That is what reconciliation is – to understand our culture and to understand other people’s cultures.”

    Alex captured what he heard by weaving the lessons he learned into each detail. Rod is pictured in one of the portraits standing in a powerful, grounded pose and overlooking the land, a visual metaphor for his role as a guide, protector, and carrier of cultural knowledge. The artwork transitions from night to day across the abutment, symbolizing the importance of balance in Blackfoot teachings. The inclusion of stars in the nighttime portion reflects the significance of wayfinding. His mural honours these teachings and his enduring role in sharing them.

    Mural subjects alongside artist Alex Kwong at the opening event in June 2025. From left to right, Donna Boulanger, Alex Kwong, Parisa Radmanesh, Jay Jones, Alanna Bluebird, and Elder Rod Scout.

    “One of the things I always tell people is that reconciliation is just a word unless you actually put it into practice,” Rod shared. “The portrait – that is reconciliation. Reconciliation is understanding where we are coming from.”

    As city-builders, we recognize that reconciliation is ongoing work. Meaningful partnerships, listening, learning and approaching our work with humility and respect are important steps on that journey. Projects like Kitao’wahsinnooni remind us that understanding the history and context of the land we steward is an important piece in our reconciliation work.

    You can learn more Alex Kwong’s Kitao’wahsinnooni: What Sustains Us and the stories behind the murals here.

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