Joi T. Arcand's ᐲᔦᓰᐤ ᐚᓴᑳᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Thunderbird House) in Edmonton.

Photo by CarbonGraphics Group

Joi T. Arcand’s ᐲᔦᓰᐤ ᐚᓴᑳᐦᐃᑲᐣ (PÎYÊSÎW WÂSKÂHIKAN), is a site specific installation on a curved glass wall in the Edmonton Public Library.

PÎYÊSÎW WÂSKÂHIKAN (Thunderbird House) is a dedicated Indigenous space within Edmonton's Stanley Milner Library built for ceremony and gatherings. The walls, ceiling, and floor are all made of white poplar, which is a significant tree to all Indigenous nations in the Edmonton area. Thunderbird House features a dedicated air circulation system that allows people to smudge without having to shut off the fire alarm system.

"...we named it PÎYÊSÎW WÂSKÂHIKAN... and it's Thunderbird House. Where that came from, we were thinking about colour. We were thinking about what allows us to reach out for things...".

"When the (Thunderbird) spreads his wings we are told, you can see the rainbow colours, he just shines rainbow colours when he spreads his feathers out like that wingspan."

Elder Jo-Ann Saddleback

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Now Magazine: What to see at virtual Nuit Blanche - Joi T. Arcand