The Roncesvalles Village BIA, in partnership with StreetARToronto, commissioned lead artist Philip Cote and local artist Jim Thierry Bravo to design the mural located at 149 Roncesvalles Ave

Indigenous History Month is a time to learn, reflect, and celebrate the diversity of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit across Tkaronto and all of Turtle Island and to remind us to consider the unique needs of the Indigenous peoples in all of the work that we do.

Accessible to all who travel past it, we are very fortunate to have a story-in-images, panoramic mural to aid us in those efforts to learn more about the history of the First Peoples, their vibrant and distinct cultures, and their beautiful languages, and how that connects to where we live.

Entitled The Original People Leading to the Eighth Fire, this 24′ x 106′ mural presents the stories of the Indigenous Peoples who first walked the land where Roncesvalles Village now stands.

For those of you familiar with the imagery illustrated in the mural, we invite you to further explore the meaning and symbolism by listening to the almost 25 minutes of recordings by Indigenous artist, elder, teacher Philip Cote, where he shares some of the stories behind the spirits and symbols in this mural.

They are all available here: https://roncesvallesvillage.ca/8thfire/

The Roncesvalles Village BIA acknowledges that we are on the colonized territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples from across Turtle Island.

The Roncesvalles Village BIA, in partnership with StreetARToronto, commissioned lead artist Philip Cote and local artist Jim Thierry Bravo to design The Original People Leading to the Eighth Fire. Assistant to Mr. Cote: Nelly Torossian