Kaná:ta' ; the village on canadian land.

Russell Means (1939-2012) quoted about the American Flag, forgive me for not knowing more on this quote, but it's one that rings with what I'm attempting to capture on this logo. It wouldn't be enough to simply portray the Canadian flag upside down over my living body.

"The red on the flag stands for the blood of the people spilt in the claiming of this land. The blue stands for the coldness of the white man's heart. The white stands for the white supremacy that this country was founded on. That is what I see when I look at the flag of this nation."

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Logo design for Canada's 150th Celebration, and Feathers of Hope forum about Truth and Reconciliation. Still thinking about a working title, maybe "Oh, Kanata" or "Our Home on Native Land."... something that strikes a cord in accord with what will we be celebrating next year....

The over all design comes from a central theme of recognizing the Seven Fires Grandfather teachings from the Anishinaabe, and the issue of Canada's continued missing and murdered Aboriginal Women.

I'll begin to explain the meaning specifically of certain points; the fire in the center is also a feather. The reason being that despite the debatable and contestable nature of feathers represented in canadian indigenous culture history, today the feather is quite pan-tribal in that it is everywhere. It is unavoidable as it would have been if history was any different. To me, this feather in particular with the fire that combines into that of the phoenix; the bird of rebirth through the ashes.

The two characters on the side represent the Sisters in Spirit, in respect to those no longer with the living. Their open palm hands are welcoming you to the warm space, but also double as angel's wings in design. They who watch over us, who know the truth as of yet to be shown. So, they also watch over the fire in protection and also face each other to represent the conflict at hand.... that the fire still needs keeping from dangers beyond of our control. Back home, when the Wolf & Crow moeities face each other, it represents a time of war (I've been told), but today as they face away - it represents how they have each others back, that we coexist together. Someday, it would be nice to redesign a logo like this with that in mind. "The red on the flag represents the bloodshed from coast to coast suffered by our original peoples. The white stands for the white-washing that has gone on uninterrupted in the 150 years of Canada's OFFICIAL existence. The maple leaf is now a firepit to the captured bounty of mother nature in sake of capitalism, control-schemes, and colonialism. That is my indigenous, historic view of the Canadian flag"

Dustin J.L. Sheldon

Gunnelchish, Merci Beaucoup, Thank you.