Descriptive Transcript: Indigenous Art and Storytelling at Biidaasige Park

This is a descriptive transcript for our YouTube Video:

[DESCRIPTION:] The video opens with an aerial shot panning over Biidaasige Park at sunrise. Green parkland sits alongside a long road, with industrial buildings and the Toronto skyline in the distance. The buildings are lit by an amber glow. At the bottom of the frame is The Drum, a circular wooden structure.

[AUDIO:] The Drum is situated at a very important part of Biidaasige Park at Riverbend.

[DESCRIPTION:] Fred Martin speaks to camera. Text appears in the bottom left corner: “Fred Martin, Senior Project Manager, Waterfront Indigenous Affairs Office, City of Toronto.” Martin wears a dark green jacket, black shirt, black glasses and a large round Indigenous necklace. Behind him is a river surrounded by greenery, a large yellow and white bridge and the Toronto skyline.

[AUDIO:] It’s where the sun’s rays first hit the park in the morning and follow the newly formed renaturalized Don River mouth.

[DESCRIPTION:] An aerial shot circles The Drum, showing its wooden structure and amber-coloured roof. It is surrounded by parkland, with the river and a road nearby and industrial buildings in the distance. The video cuts to a closer aerial view of The Drum.

[AUDIO:] It’s incredibly sort of emotional even just to finally see the structure built and installed, the panels look fantastic.

[DESCRIPTION:] Mamie Griffith speaks to camera. Text appears in the bottom left corner: “Mamie Griffith, Tawaw Architecture Collective.” As she continues speaking, aerial shots circle The Drum and show the surrounding paths and greenery. Interior views highlight details of the wooden structure, with sunlight shining through metal panels featuring images including a bear, snowshoe, fish and strawberries. The audio changes to Fred Martin speaking.

[AUDIO:] We were reminded through people like Elder Dr. Duke Redbird around this erasure of Indigenous people and their language, their culture in terms of reconciliation.

[DESCRIPTION:] A man dressed in black with a light brown vest, stands beneath The Drum and speaks to a seated crowd. The camera pans across the audience, followed by an exterior view of The Drum with groups of people gathered around it. The video then returns to Fred Martin speaking to camera.

[AUDIO:] Our reconciliation action plan with the City of Toronto shows that need to have that reconnection with First Nations people to say, this is a space here where reconciliation really can be exemplified, to see how much work is being done.

[DESCRIPTION:] The video alternates between Fred Martin speaking to camera, a man in traditional Indigenous dress speaking to a crowd beneath The Drum, and an aerial view panning over Biidaasige Park.

[AUDIO:] This is a long road, a long journey that we're on in reconciliation, in making sure that in this city that everyone understands the real history of the City of Toronto and the real history of the waterfront.

[DESCRIPTION:] Councillor Paula Fletcher speaks to camera. Text appears in the bottom left corner: “Paula Fletcher, Councillor, Toronto-Danforth.” Councillor Fletcher wears a fuzzy white, black and green coat, with The Drum’s metal panels visible behind her. The video alternates between Councillor Fletcher speaking to camera, an exterior view of The Drum, people standing and seated inside the structure, a group seated in a circle playing a drum, and Fred Martin speaking to a crowd beneath The Drum.

[AUDIO:] It means so much to be here with community.

[DESCRIPTION:] Mamie Griffith speaks to camera. The video cuts to people seated beneath The Drum listening to three speakers, followed by a group of six people gathered around and playing a drum.

[AUDIO:] The drum really represents a place of gathering, a place of ceremony, and a place of history. 

[DESCRIPTION:] The video alternates between a woman speaking to a seated crowd beneath The Drum, Fred Martin speaking to camera, and close-up views of the structure and its panels.

[AUDIO:] It's really special to be part of this enormous project that is happening here. 

[DESCRIPTION:] Two shots show Mamie Griffith speaking, first to a crowd beneath The Drum and then directly to camera.

[AUDIO:] To be part of that larger team and included with the other artists that have pieces here.

[DESCRIPTION:] A series of clips shows sculptures and installations throughout Biidaasige Park, including large wooden bear carvings, a stone fireplace surrounded by large log benches, and two large, rounded stone sculptures resting on a bed of rocks near the river. The video then transitions to Michael Belmore speaking to camera. Text appears in the bottom left corner: “Michael Belmore, Canadian Sculptor, Anishinaabe Artist.” Belmore wears a faded blue, short-sleeved button-up shirt. Behind him are the river and a large bridge.

[AUDIO:] The key inspiration to the piece comes back to the title. So Nibi meaning water. It breathes life into us. Not only human but all living creatures on this planet. 

[DESCRIPTION:] The video alternates between Belmore speaking to camera and views of the surrounding landscape and artwork. An aerial shot shows the Lake Shore Boulevard Bridge, cars travelling along the roadway, the nearby river and the Toronto skyline. Additional shots show large grey blocks installed on the bridge, including close-up views of etched details on their surfaces.

[AUDIO:] There are several sort of stories are infused into the sculptures themselves, one examining the way that the world is created in Anishinaabe culture where there's a sky world and underworld or underwater world. And so to represent those two, the Manidoo or Great Spirits, that protect them, the Water Lynx and also the Thunderbirds. The flood story involves for the Mississaugas it is the loon, the helldiver, the turtle, the otter, and the muskrat.

[DESCRIPTION:] The video alternates between Belmore speaking to camera and crouching beside the installations, extending his hand toward details in the artwork.

[AUDIO:] And the muskrat is the one that finally collects some soil that the world can be built again. It speaks to the redevelopment of the parklands here to sort of start again or breathe again this new continuance of life

[DESCRIPTION:] An aerial shot travels over Biidaasige Park and the Don River, showing a modern white and red bridge. The video returns to Belmore speaking to camera. In another shot, he leans over the railing of the Lake Shore Boulevard Bridge to examine the back of one of the art installations. Close-up shots show additional details of the artwork. The video then cuts to Fred Martin speaking to camera.

[AUDIO:] Some of the other examples you'll find around this park are Marker Trees, which builds upon wayfinding and interpretive signage in this park. Utilizing long held traditions of bending trees as wayfinding.

[DESCRIPTION:] The video alternates between Fred Martin speaking to camera, images of bent trees, and close-up views of the wooden materials used to bend trees at Biidaasige Park.

[AUDIO:] Waterfront Toronto has made it their important business to ensure that in all the work that's being done, the history, the recognition of Indigenous peoples, the first peoples of this area of this area, on this land, is being honoured in every way.

[DESCRIPTION:] The closing sequence includes an aerial view over Biidaasige Park and the Don River, focusing on a modern red and white bridge; Councillor Fletcher speaking to camera; people speaking to a seated crowd beneath The Drum; and a man in traditional Indigenous dress addressing the crowd. The video ends on a white screen featuring the Waterfront Toronto logo and the text “Discover more waterfrontoronto.ca” in the centre. The Government of Canada, Government of Ontario and City of Toronto logos appear along the bottom.