Alicia-Lynn Morin sees a little bit of herself in the three works chosen by Niagara Health to be displayed in mental health outpatient units at its hospitals in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland.
“People who know me, I like to roar, I like to make a little bit of a sound once in a while,” Morin said after unveiling her works, three separate depictions of bears.
The bears are representative of the Three Sisters, corn, bean and squash, which stand for strength, power and wisdom, Morin said. The bears she added, also symbolize courage, strength, resourcefulness, wisdom and intuition, something that Indigenous people have had to summon for hundreds of years of colonization.
“Those are all things that we all have within us, and those are things that we deeply need to dive into in order to continuously fight the battles that we fight, to overcome everything that we overcome,” she said.
Morin, a Welland resident, will see her work displayed in the Outpatient Mental Health Unit at the Marotta Family Hospital in St. Catharines. She was one of three Indigenous artists whose works were chosen by Niagara Health and its Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation Team.
The Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation Team was created after the death of Heather Winterstein, 24, who died while awaiting treatment in the emergency room at what was then the St. Catharines site of Niagara Health.
On Dec. 9, 2021, Winterstein came to the emergency department complaining of back pain. She was given Tylenol and was sent home. She returned to the emergency department the next day and later collapsed and died. It was subsequently revealed that Winterstein had died from strep A blood infection.
The other artists whose works were chosen included Welland’s Rick Langlois, and Delbert JayR Jonathan, a Mohawk artist from the Turtle clan who belongs to the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory.
Langlois chose to create his work on hide, honouring the methods used on Indigenous paintings 150 years ago. The work will be displayed at the Greater Niagara General site in Niagara Falls.
Langlois was overwhelmed by the fact his work was chosen.
“You can see I’m in tears,” he said after his work was unveiled.
It was a difficult work to complete. He had to find a way to make sure the acrylic paints he was using didn’t crack. He wound up consulting with others on how best to go about it, including one in Texas who had experience working on something similar.
“It was a challenge,” Langlois said. “It will hold up and it is flexible.”
His work incorporates a bear, an eagle and a medicine wheel on stretched sheepskin.
“The medicine wheel contains all the medicines and directions,” he said. “The bear represents the protector of traditions and medicines while the eagle carries our prayers to the Creator.”
The combination of the three elements was meant to “offer support and guidance on someone’s healing journey.”
While he was unable to attend the unveiling, Delbert JayR Jonathan said in a statement that the selection of his work was “phenomenal” news.
“I never thought in a day of my life that I would see our people represented in the ways they are today,” the statement said. “And that to me is a big deal.”
It will not be the first time Jonathan’s work will be on display at a Niagara Health facility. He previously worked with the Indigenous Health Services and Reconciliation team to create a piece that is displayed in the Emergency Departments at all three hospitals in Niagara.
Jonathan’s digitally created piece features plant life, emphasizing the role of people as life teachers and offering a sense of grounding and connection to the land and its guardians. His piece will be displayed in the Outpatient Mental Health Unit at the Welland Hospital.
Niagara Health President and CEO Lynn Guerriero called the installation of the artworks “a testament” to the health system’s reconciliation efforts.
“It's a real privilege to stand here today with you and look at the combination of a project that really represents what I think are our shared values and our dedication to creating a more inclusive and compassionate health-care environment for all in this case, in very particular for our indigenous community,” she said.
Niagara Health’s Indigenous Health Services Plan – The Journey to Reconciliation – she said, is a roadmap to sustainable change and make positive impacts on outcomes for Indigenous patients.
“The art reflects our commitment to putting people first, establishing a safe and welcoming space that's really tailored to Indigenous needs and nurturing a sense of belonging and trust and hope within the indigenous community.”
The art will be a “beacon of comfort” for all people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, said says Robin Crown, clinical manager, outpatient mental Health and addictions for Niagara Health.
“These pieces will remind everyone who walks through our doors that they are not alone, and they are entering a space where they will be seen, valued and supported on their healing journey,” she said.
While no specific date was given for the installation of the works, it is expected to take place over the next few weeks.
