the base of the pillar is a mosaic of paving stones engraved to depict plant life of the river valley, including wild strawberry, blueberry, and kinnikinnick. The inclusion of plants in the piece is a nod to their history of nourishing body and soul, and providing sustenance and survival in the area. In an interview about the installation, Barkhouse said, "From a cultural and scientific point of view, I was trying to have the characters in the work be evocative of the checks and balances the evolutionary process has fine-tuned." Preparing to Cross the Sacred River - Marianne Nicolson Marianne Nicolson is painter, photographer, sculptor, and installation artist of the Dzawada’enuxw First Nation who has trained in traditional Kwakwaka’wakw carving. Nicolson's installation title notes the nearby North Saskatchewan River and the piece contains many references to its formation, flora, fauna, and history of sustaining Indigenous peoples on its banks. To create Preparing to Cross the Sacred River, Nicolson used eight quarried stone slabs of varying heights connected with smoothed river rocks. The stone slabs are carved to look like petroglyphs, but with a more modern style that evokes beadwork, a traditional Indigenous method. In her research for the project, Nicolson spoke with many elders who told her their traditional stories, which she used to inform the imagery carved on the stones: geese, magpies, other animals, flowers, and arrows to show movement and give direction. The slabs also feature glyphs of a Métis cart and roses. In an interview about the piece, Nicholson said, "Basically, the metaphor of ‘preparing to cross the sacred river’ speaks to the idea that there is a different relationship to the land that needs to be considered in order to halt environmental damage or climate change. This change can be considered as way of crossing into a new place or worldview that is anchored in Indigenous teachings." Awards and recognition In June 2019, the Americans for the Arts' Public Art Network recognized the park as one of the 50 best international public art projects, stating, "If the role of public art is to form a map of where a community or city has been, and where it’s going, then ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ is a momentous signpost on that journey." References External links Public Art Edmonton park profile Parks in Edmonton Indigenous art in Canada