b'ELDERSKamloops. It was a dream of Rocks daughters grandmother; she had asked him if he would paint this for her in his next mural. When he was voted in to do the mural, he sat at the window for two weeks and wondered how he would accom-plish this. With a fabulous admin-istrative team, the advisory panel and all Indigenous people working on it behind the scenes, we got the Bob Joseph and Elder mural on. It was an inside and anWhabagoon with city staff and supporters at outside installation. We did work- Toronto City Hall. shops around it; we did an educa- Credit: Ahmad Karim.tion guide. These were some of my experiences with street art. I love StART with a passion. It was through that world that the First Peoples Leadership Advisor role came to be. I believe our path is already laid out by Creator. I answerWe have face-to-Creators call to invoke change [in]face relationships any way I can. with community What does your day-to-daymembers - it role with the City of Torontoinstills trust and look like? mutual respect.My role is to advise on change, and change cant just be for show.Carey KostykIt must be a real commitment byValard Presidentdoing things a different way. I dont expect them to walk through thisvalard.comIndigenous lens of mine and know everything; I simply ask that they listen and maybe itll change the way they look at things, and theyWhat is the meaning of are responding. The other day I held a smudging ceremony and spoke toMamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin?them about it. When I asked if there were questions, it was so inspiring.Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin is the Somebody wanted to know aboutTikinagan service model. In Ojibway/Oji-the eagle feather and why I use it.Cree, Mamow Obiki-ahwahsoowin means,The eagle feather has two differentEveryone working sides. Somebody asked about mytogether to raise ourrattle that I never have far from me.children.It was gifted to me by my brother.It is a system of protecting and caring for children and supporting families that has They asked about the tobaccobeen designed and is delivered by First pouch, and when they ask thoseNations people in our 30 communities.questions, theyre like little kidslike sponges. They listen to everything that I say, and they learn it, and that is very, very inspiring to me in thisposition. TIKINAGAN.ORGINDIGENOUS INNOVATORS, ICONS & INFLUENCERS |ISSUE 1, 2023 33'