Children’s Hospital has put out a call for First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists to submit their work and ideas to decorate new rooms being built for Indigenous patients.

“Wellness is about the whole child and we really want to create spaces that are familiar to Indigenous people,” said Nicole Yawney, the Youth Indigenous Wellness Consultant for Children’s Hospital at Victoria Hospital.

The goal is to design and shape the new rooms to be more welcoming to Indigenous patients through art, especially since the Children’s Hospital already offers specialized care to many Indigenous children from across the country — including those from remote northern communities, she said. 

“So many folks are just transplanted and they experience culture shock,” said Yawney. It can also be difficult for family members who are trying to process whatever illness their children are experiencing.

‘Where are we in our spaces?’

One of the barriers that impacts Indigenous children is the lack of support for cultural healing processes because of how the hospital is currently built, according to Yawney.

“If kids can’t leave their rooms, if they’re hooked up to machines and they want specific ceremonies and teachings by their elders and knowledge keepers, we need to have these spaces created for them,” said Yawney.

Hospitals aren’t always welcoming to Indigenous people and displaying the artwork will be empowering for kids and families who need to use and stay in those spaces, she said.

“I’ve had some kids who are just being really on guard and as soon as they hear I’m Indigenous, they’re like ‘Oh, you’re Native!’ and immediately their guards are let down and I’m able to kind of be that bridge.”

“It really does make a difference to see a space that kids can identify with and I’ve heard that time and time again. It’s like ‘Where are we in our spaces?’ This area is unique and specific to the local First Nations,” said Yawney, who added she is hoping to see art submitted from many Indigenous traditions from all over Canada.

“We’re really wanting to create these spaces that tell the story from each population.”

Proposals can be sent to nicole.yawney@lhsc.on.ca with the subject line being “Attention: Youth Indigenous Wellness Program.” The deadline for artists is July 15.