The Indigenous Solidarity Working Group, comprising parishioners and friends, is interested in the complex and myriad issues surrounding Indigenous People in Canada, and in particular relating to our urban Indigenous neighbours.
Roots of Hope
“I’m like a feather in the wind…if it’s something that’s worthy, I’ll take it on. The Redeemer does good things. I was thinking the Church now is this plant. It’s medicine. And we have to put some roots down so it can grow.” – Donald Chretien
Our new outdoor mural, created by Donald Chretien – an Ojibwe artist of the Nipissing First Nation – welcomes passers-by on Avenue Road, weaving together roots of Indigenous history with today’s living church
The Artwork
Drawing from ancient Indigenous traditions of beadwork as a tool for communication, Donald Chretien’s mural speaks to the roots that nurture us at the site of the Church of the Redeemer.
Notice the shift in colour of the roots to blue as they reach downward? This references an ancient creek that runs deep beneath the Church.
The roots themselves represent thousands of years of Indigenous human presence in this place – the Huron-Wendat, the Petun, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe Nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
Notice how the colours shift in “waves” travelling along the wall? These colour shifts represent the four stages or “hills” of life, the four seasons, the four cardinal directions of the compass and the four colours of the Medicine Wheel.
Childhood is Yellow, corresponding with Spring and the East.
Adolescence is Red, following Summer and the South.
The phase of adulthood is the Blue of Autumn and looking to the West.
The final stage, that of the Elder, is White with its view to Winter and the North.
Leaves and flowers speak to the medicines that can be found in our shared natural world, which sustain us all. Ancestral knowledge and storytelling are represented in the “digital beads” which form the images. You can also notice how the roots form new connections with each other as they intertwine.
The Artist
For 30 years, Donald Chretien has explored his Ojibwe heritage through an artistic practice that reflects both his experience of working and living between two worlds and his drive for connection with his ancestral roots.
Influenced by the vibrant colour and bold composition of the Woodland style, Donald explores the spiritual beliefs, oral traditions, and history of the Anishinaabe, a group of culturally linked Indigenous Peoples located in the Great Lakes regions of Canada and the United States.
His 2010 Vancouver Olympics mural, titled Ngashi Nijii Bineshiinh (Mother, Friend, Small Bird) is on permanent display in Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum. His works are also in the collection of the Archives of Ontario, and the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.
Donald graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1985 and began a career in commercial illustration. Beginning in 2004 and mentored by the late Ojibwe elder Basil Johnston, he developed a deep commitment to his Ojibwe heritage, community and spirituality and relocated from the Greater Toronto area to Nipissing First Nation.
Church of the Redeemer and Reconciliation
Roots of Hope is an expression of the Redeemer’s ongoing journey of reconciliation with our indigenous neighbours.
The Indigenous Solidarity Working Group at Church of the Redeemer, parishioners, friends and collaborators from the broader arts, design and Indigenous community began consultations in 2020 to explore how a mural could advance our shared goals and values. From this diversity of perspectives, a consensus emerged – that art can affirm identity, reinforce culture and help heal historic wounds.
Our invitation to you is to spend time reflecting on the mural.
When I look at Roots of Hope…
I see…
I think…
I feel…
I want…
Credits:
Artwork: Donald Chretien
Text: Kevin von Appen and Donald Chretien
Design: Aylin Doyle and Blue Rhino Design, Toronto
Printing: Joe Scout, Club Ink, Toronto
Design and Project Coordination: Dawn Lee
Project Administration Support: Brianna Davies
Project Oversight: The Indigenous Solidarity Working Group at The Church of the Redeemer
Intern: Marc Walter
Past Events by the Indigenous Solidarity Working Group:
The Responsibility of Being Human in a World of Others, a talk by Professor Douglas Sanderson, Saturday, May 9, 2026
ReconciliAction Symposium – Engaging presentations and discussion with three prominent leaders from the First Nations’ community – Douglas Sanderson, of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation of Manitoba, UofT law professor and Visiting Indigenous Scholar at the Church of the Redeemer; Douglas Sinclair, of the Peguis First Nation of Manitoba and publisher of Indigenous Watchdog; and The Venerable Rosalyn Kantlaht’ant Elm, chaplain from Six Nations held on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
Indigenous is the New Orientalism: Identity, Ambiguity and the Creation of Pretendians – a talk by Professor Douglas Sanderson on Saturday, June 15, 2024
About the Indigenous Solidarity Working Group
The group’s focus is both education and outreach. New members are welcome to assist with programming.
If you’re interested in Indigenous issues and our ministry, please use the form below to sign up for our newsletter, and let us know if you’d like more information on how to get involved.
