On two campuses, bear sculptures by Cree artist Stewart Steinhauer are offering the opportunity for community members to learn about and reflect on Indigenous stories. Steinhauer is a stone carver from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta’s Treaty 6 Territory, with longstanding ties to the Okanagan region. At Okanagan College, granite bear sculptures by Steonhauer have been installed on the college’s Kelowna and Penticton campuses. The college explains that the two sculptures—one of a single grizzly bear and one of a mother bear with its cubs—reflect stories and teachings informed by Steinhauer’s time spent living in Syilx territory. Meanwhile, the University of Alberta has published a reflection on the “Treaty Six Territory Marker: Bear Spirit” sculpture that was created by Steinhauer and installed in 2016. The university noted that the sculpture has become a part of the North Campus’s image, a gathering point for Indigenous events, a de facto wayfinding tool, and a reminder of the university community’s commitment to work as Treaty peoples.
