In September 2021, to acknowledge the first official National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we commissioned Indigenous artists across Canada to create murals at six of our Petro-Canada locations. Pam Cailloux - born in Chibougamau Québec and of Huron and Algonquin heritage - created her mural, "Mother Nature and her Natural Resources," at our 545 Boulevard Henri-Bourassa E Petro-Canada location in Montreal, Quebec.
Pam has been drawing and painting all her life. To create her unique Woodland style of art, she takes the skills she learned in a traditional painting education and combines those with her Indigenous heritage. She chooses vibrant colours in her pieces; she wants people who see her art to see something that is very joyful, relaxing and brings good energy. Her artwork is heavily influenced by the teachings of the medicine wheel, representing the balance of the earth. Mother Earth is often represented in her work as an energy and spirit that is determined to heal and restore natural order.
Pam hopes that the storytelling aspect of her art is a gentle introduction to Indigenous culture - people can get an idea of what the culture is all about without feeling intimidated or worrying about asking questions. In this piece, she wants to acknowledge that we use the resources of Mother Earth for our own benefits, but that it must be a partnership - we need to maintain and respect the earth, and know that Mother Earth has her limits.
When asked about what reconciliation means to her, Pam acknowledged that there is a lot of pain surrounding reconciliation. “We can't undo what has been done. But hopefully we learn from the mistakes of the past. And treat each other with more respect than we have.”
Thank you, Pamela, for creating this beautiful mural and for giving us an opportunity to appreciate and learn from your story of reconciliation. See the mural come to life and learn more Pamela’s participation in this project.
You can learn more about Pam’s art on her website and see her latest projects on Instagram.