The title alludes to one of the ways that Indigenous peoples organized communities in the region. The installation of the flagpoles will replicate the movement of streams and will help shape the site as one that invites viewers in.
The five flags in the schematic above represent from (left to right) the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo in the Grand River watershed; a milkweed plant, indigenous to the geographical region and an important plant for migrating monarch butterflies; "Niawen," the word for "Thank you" in Haudenosaunee; a schematic map of the Haldimand Tract representing the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo; and "Miigwech," the word for "Thank you" in Anishinaabe.
Guided by Streams has been made possible with the support of the Region of Waterloo.
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The Big Ideas in Art and Culture lecture series is a co-production of Musagetes and CAFKA.
The Musagetes Foundation is concerned with the role the arts can play in addressing the faultlines of modern society. Musagetes is a hub for activist interventions that advance the role of the arts in modern life. It operates mainly by convening – by creating living experiences, some small, some large, that bring people together to articulate social needs, generate ideas and spark action.
CAFKA initiates conversations around public space and the social and critical functions of art. CAFKA's programming seeks resonance and support in the community where issues of ecology, marginalized communities, cultural participation, technology and urban life overlap with the issues addressed by contemporary artists.