Pillars of the River

The carvings represent a glimpse into the history of George Lane Park from precontact local Indigenous history, culture and practices, to contact up to present day.

There are two trees that will be carved. One of them will be depictions of local Indigenous symbols and cultural depictions (pictographs, tipis, creation stories, buffalo jumps, Porcupine Hills, mountains, Highwood /Little Bow Rivers, medicine tree, politics erratic) in ascending circles to the top. This tree will be finished 2024.

The second tree will depict the local history from explorer contact through settlement history with images of local important milestones in a visual timeline ascending the tree (Peter Fidler explorer, HBC traders, NWMP, railway, founding of HR, local settlement, first school/churches/buildings: bridge, rodeo, farming, ranching). This tree will be started 2024 and finished spring 2025.

Jared Tailfeathers (Sikomh Kokomii Calling Crane) is a local Multidisciplinary visual artist, musician, author, inventor and Blackfoot art historian. A member of the Blood/Kainai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy. He works for Calgary Arts Development Authority as a Public Art Project Lead, has been the Indigenous Placemaking Coordinator for the Calgary Public Library, cultural consultant and has facilitated workshops, trainings and events for arts and culture.