Author’s statement: Karonhianoron Dallas Canady-Binette is a two-spirit Kanien’keha:ka student from Kanehsatake. They completed their Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology at McGill University in 2024, and are currently in their second year of McGill Anthropology’s Master of Arts program.
At the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester, McGill students were greeted by the sight of a new mural on the university’s lower campus, in between the Roddick Gates and the Arts Building at the so-called Y-Intersection. As a returning student myself, I was anxious to see what the mural looked like. For an entire year, I walked past the closed-in construction site and attempted to spot what was going on behind the tall, tarped fences. When the Y-Intersection renovations would come up as a topic of conversation, I realized that my peers, and even some of my professors, had no idea what the point of the project was. I would answer them with the simple statement, “They’re Indigenizing the Y!” But even I didn’t fully know how construction could be ‘Indigenizing’.
On the first day I returned to campus in September, I wondered if the mural was finally complete. I didn’t see any kind of social media post, journal article, or email celebrating its unveiling. I walked from University Street towards the Arts Building and unceremoniously stumbled upon the installation. The mural is circular and laid into the ground, made from different kinds of black and grey stone. I noticed a number of symbols, though they were difficult to see through the masses of people walking across the mural and the relentless sunlight beating down from above. With some squinting, I recognized the traditional clan animals of the Kanien’keha:ka: the bear, wolf, and turtle. Beyond that, what I saw were the generic silhouettes of plants and people.
I looked around for a commemorative plaque that explained the symbolism of the mural or the intent of the artist who made it. There was none. I decided to sit on one of the eight benches surrounding the mural and watch how the public interacted with the piece. I observed hundreds of pedestrians pass through the intersection, never stopping to inspect the change beneath their feet. Some tourists walked over the mural to take pictures of the Arts Building, adorned with McGill’s red martlet flag. My heart sank. I left disappointed but determined to find out more about the mural.
Ten years ago, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) published its Final Report on the history and legacy of Indian Residential Schools in Canada. The report found that the government of Canada was responsible for the physical, biological, and cultural genocide of Indigenous peoples. Included in the Final Report were 94 Calls to Action that Canadians, at all levels of society, could take up to address the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples.
A number of these Calls to Action concerned making education more equitable and accessible for Indigenous peoples. Heeding these calls, a task force led by Provost and VP Academic Christopher Manfredi published its own report on the status of Indigenous studies, Indigenous education, and reconciliation at McGill University in 2017. This report included its own Calls to Action, with the Y-Intersection mural directly linked to Call #26: Indigeneity and Public Spaces at McGill. Here, the task force recommended that the University establish a dedicated fund to buy and display art from Indigenous artists and to “embed Indigenous themes in our public spaces.”
According to McGill’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII), the redesign of the Y-Intersection is meant to “create a functional gathering space that challenges Western ways of thinking by thoughtfully integrating Indigenous worldviews, art, and culture throughout the space” with a specific emphasis on Kanien’keha:ka themes. The project was done in collaboration with Morningstar Designs, also known as Alanah Jewell (Oneida of the Thames), although it’s not confirmed if she designed the mural, the benches, or both. Unfortunately, this information is only available on a webpage nestled deep in the OII’s website.
The mural, which is a university-led initiative, stands in stark contrast to an Indigenous-led initiative that was attempted a year earlier. On November 18th, 2024, a coalition of women known as Kanien’keha:ka Konnon:kwe, including prominent Kanien’keha:ka activists Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel and Kahentinetha Horn, gathered on McGill University’s lower field. Here, the women held a ceremony to commemorate the planting of a white pine sapling, recognized as an important symbol of peace for the Rotinonshion:ni (Six Nations). The tree, which was planted near the former student encampment for Palestine, called for peaceful relations between McGill students,the university administration, the Kanien’keha:ka, and the Palestinian people.
Manfredi and VP Administration Fabrice Labeau were informed over email of the women’s intent to plant the tree two weeks in advance. They responded that McGill would not be participating in the ceremony, and that the university only carries out reconciliation efforts in partnership with “traditional and elected leadership of local Indigenous communities.” An additional email from Manfredi and Labeau stated that the Kanien’keha:ka women were not authorized to plant the tree on McGill’s property, despite the fact that these women, under the traditional governing structure of the Rotinonshion:ni, are the sole titleholders of the land.
Students remained on campus to watch over the tree until 11:00 p.m. when the university closed to the public. By morning, the tree had disappeared. It had been uprooted and confiscated by McGill University security guards. The removal of the tree was met with profound anger and grief. “The desecration of the sapling,” wrote the women in a statement, “is a violent act against the Kanien’kehá:ka peoples […] This is taken as a sign that, despite its Land Acknowledgement and extensive equity policies, McGill University adopts a selective policy for respecting Indigenous voices.”
As I sit writing this piece and looking out over the mural, I can’t help but ask myself, who is reconciliation actually serving at McGill? It is difficult to make sense of why university administration would so violently reject an attempt at reconciliation made by Indigenous peoples, yet proudly claim that their own project truly “honours Indigenous presence”. Moreover, it remains to be seen whether the mural will meaningfully contribute to ameliorating the relationship between the university and Indigenous peoples, whether they be students, faculty, staff, or community members. Reconciliation isn’t just about making campus more beautiful. It requires institutions like McGill to disrupt and seriously reimagine the way they relate to the lands, waters, and peoples of Turtle Island.