Goose Garden

Goose Garden was constructed as part of the City of Calgary’s Artist Initiated Public Art Project, created with consultation from Elder Marilyn Shingoose of the Saulteaux Nation, and Elder Grant Little Mustache of the Blackfoot Nation. Through these consultations teachings were shared about our Indigenous world view about animals and plants being our relations. Relations could be exchanged for the word “family”, and the goose could be seen as our cousin, that we are in a mutually beneficial relationship with this animal, and all beings on Earth. This world-view is contrasted by the Eurocentric colonial Christian world-view which asserts humans are above animal life, that earth, her animals and plants are only here for our consumption and no responsibility exists to respect their habitat or existence. Instead, Goose Garden asks us to consider that geese have nested on the shores, now known as Prince’s Island Park, since before Calgary even existed as a city. This space is, in essence, the home of the goose first and our park second. If we view the goose as our cousin, we might ask ourselves “How do we conduct ourselves in our cousins’ home? How do we treat them when visiting their home?”

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Teachings:

áápsspini = Blackfoot ᓂᐢᑲ Niska = Cree​