Acts of Remembrance, Big and Small

Kina Wiiya Enadong building, U of T Scarborough Campus (Credit: Crystal Butler)

Growing up in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, I was raised from a young age to place great importance on equitable relations, and particularly on multiculturalism. Scarborough has taught me empathy, tolerance, and the beauty of diversity. I was exposed to various cultures and their traditions, including those of Indigenous peoples. Being a Scarbarian is an important aspect of my identity and has played a significant role in shaping my life.  

Recently, I went back to where I did my undergraduate degree, the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) campus. This is where my first acts of critical remembrance took place, imbuing my education with Indigenous knowledge and worldviews. Walking around the campus gave me both a sense of nostalgia but also solidarity. At UTSC, I felt a passion burning for human rights, social justice, and equity. I feel as though it's engraved in the very walls of campus, especially in a mural such as this.

This particular mural is in what is now the Kina Wiiya Enadong Building. This building was named by Anishinaabe Elder Josh Eshkawogan. Kina Wiiya Enadong means "Everyone Spirit Mind" in order to represent the “Gift of Multiple Perspectives."

What a perfect encapsulation of the UTSC student body and our beliefs.

Even though it has only been one year since I became a UTSC alumni, I can still very clearly see how human rights issues are still at the forefront of both the campus as well as the student body. I'm proud to be a UTSC alumni and I am even more proud that my former campus has taken up the act of remembrance in this way.

I think that this strength and the concept of the “Everyone Spirit Mind” is what makes Scarborough unique. As it is home to many cultures where the community acknowledges the Indigenous history of the land and aids these Indigenous communities whose land in which we reside to advance their interests.  

“The land I am standing on today is the traditional 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. I also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.”

Source: Land Acknowledgement for Scarborough

These acts of remembrance remind us all of the importance of reconciliation and healing. It gives empowerment to communities to advocate for social change and equity. This sense of social justice is something that I've carried into my professional and academic journey, as with my own acts of remembrance culminating in my role in the Remembering Project. I hope that actions such as this inspire you, the reader, to take up your own act of remembrance, regardless of how big or how small.

- Crystal

Source: https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/indigenous-place-making/kina-wiiya-enadong-building