Members of the McGill and Montreal communities and prominent representatives of local Indigenous nations gathered Oct. 23 to celebrate Tsi Non:we Onkwatonhnhets, or “The Place Where Our Life Force Emerges from the Earth,” the newly redesigned Y-intersection at the heart of McGill’s downtown campus. The event marked a milestone in the University’s journey toward reconciliation and its ongoing partnership with Indigenous communities.
The revitalized intersection, created through three years of collaboration among Indigenous artists, Elders, community members and multiple McGill departments, stands as a meeting place where the stories and knowledge of the land are made visible. The initiative responds directly to Call to Action 26: Indigeneity in Public Space, one of McGill’s 52 Calls to Action to advance truth and reconciliation.
“This intersection is more than a physical redesign,” said Celeste Pedri-Spade, Associate Provost (Indigenous Initiatives). “It’s a place of convergence, where Indigenous knowledge, community, voice and institutional responsibility meet. It is a space where commitments are made visible and where Indigenous presence is not only acknowledged, but honoured.”
Pedri-Spade emphasized the significance of reimagining public spaces to reflect Indigenous perspectives.
“This campus can be an isolating space for Indigenous students and faculty because everywhere they look, in the bricks and mortar, it’s not reflective of who they are. It’s often a reminder of their erasure and their displacement,” she said. “The artwork carries teachings and reflects relationships with land, with community and with history. It invites us all to pause to reflect and to learn.”
Art, land and knowledge intertwined
The centrepiece of the space is a granite turtle shell embedded with 13 works by Oneida artist Alanah Astehtsi̲’ Otsistóhkwa Jewell, representing the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address. Surrounding benches are engraved with species native to Kawennote Tiohtià:ke (Montreal) and new flagpoles. For the event, they displayed Indigenous and community flags.
For Jewell, the opportunity to contribute to Tsi Non:we Onkwatonhnhets was deeply personal.
“My favourite element of this artwork is the knowledge that’s rooted in each piece,” she said. “This knowledge is not my own. It comes from our ancestors and has survived many storms to reach us. Not only is it a responsibility to carry and share that knowledge, but we must also carry and share the pride that our ancestors have instilled in us.
Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi emphasized the symbolic power of the site.
“This reimagined Y-intersection is more than a physical change,” he said. “It’s a living symbol of reconciliation, respect and renewal. It also reflects McGill’s ongoing commitment to honour Indigenous knowledge and to create spaces where all members of our community feel seen, valued and connected.”
Collaboration and reconnection
The project’s development was guided by Kahnawà:ke scholar Taiaiake Alfred, Senior Consultant on Indigenous Initiatives. He spoke about the transformation of the space from one of absence to one of resurgence.
“When we talk about reconciliation … what we’re really talking about is reconnection to the truth, reconnection to the truth of this land and reconnection to the truth of what should be the good relationship between our peoples, between the Onkwehonwe [the Original People] and the people that have come later,” he said.
“Our people were here for thousands of years, and then we were gone. But we’re back. And this space really represents that,” continued Alfred. “The good words that were offered by the artists and the people that have spoken before me really capture how meaningful this is for Onkwehonwe people to see the space here and for you all to be honouring the presence of our people and the re-presencing of our people.”
Tsi Non:we Onkwatonhnhets was led by McGill’s Facilities Management and Ancillary Services in close collaboration with the Office of Indigenous Initiatives and Indigenous partners including artist Philip White-Cree, who developed the conceptual design. Together, they sought to weave Indigenous knowledge into the landscape of the downtown campus, transforming a once-busy traffic artery into a welcoming place for gathering, reflection and dialogue.
A moment of recognition and respect
To close the celebration, Mike Loft of Kahnawà:ke, a retired professor from McGill’s School of Social Work and longtime champion of Indigeneity at the University, reflected on the progress made at McGill, saying he was moved by the “profound transformation” of the campus.
“In my early days here [going back to 1977], the presence of Indigenous culture was barely visible,” he said. “To think that we’ve gone from that situation to this situation is unbelievable.”
Loft noted that the new space is more than a redesign: “It’s an act of reclaiming our space,” he said. “No longer are our cultural symbols and treasures locked away in dusty museum cabinets and treated as echoes of a bygone era. Today, they stand proudly beside the Western architectural icons, like the Greek columns of the Arts Building, reminding everyone of our enduring place in the heart of this University. Today, we are at a powerful crossroads, a moment of decolonization, of recognition, of respect, of will. May this occasion be the beginning of ongoing conversation and continued transformative action.”