Riders on the Tootsie Express Train at Heartland Forest will have some new scenery to enjoy when the nature experience opens this year.
MINI GRANT- Heartland Forest
An art installation paying tribute to the Three Sisters and their significance to Indigenous Peoples is one of the latest stops added to the train route, building upon the Indigenous and environmental education programs for which Heartland Forest is known.
The painting of the Three Sisters, done as a collaboration by Indigenous visual artist Leona Skye Grandmond and multi-disciplinary artist Torena Gardner-Durdle on a six-by-eight-foot fence section, was made possible by a $750 mini grant from NCF.
The “Three Sisters Train Route Vignette” will serve as a gateway into the story of the Three Sisters — corn, beans and squash — who thrive when cultivated together and have sustained Indigenous Peoples from the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Hatiwendaronk and Anishinaabek, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, where Heartland Forest in modern-day Niagara Falls exists.
“It was something important to us, but we needed a funder,” said Elisabeth Graham, Heartland Forest executive director. “We were very excited about working with NCF.”
Indigenous staff member Louis Harris, who oversees Indigenous education at Heartland Forest, researched the Mohawk legend of the Three Sisters to share with Tootsie Express riders, who include school groups and tourists.
NCF grant money will also be used to produce children’s colouring pages about the Three Sisters and to plant new greenery around the vignette.
The installation complements other Heartland Forest exhibits honouring Indigenous Peoples and their history. That includes a friendship garden featuring Three Sisters plantings and a turtle exhibit telling the Indigenous creation story of Turtle Island.
Promoting Indigenous culture stays true to the nature preserve’s goal of inclusivity, Graham explained.
It also taps into the growing sector of Indigenous tourism among international visitors who are seeking authentic cultural and land-based Indigenous experiences.
“We’ve done many partnerships over the years with Indigenous organizations and individuals,” Graham said. “This is a natural fit for Heartland Forest, being a nature experience, to incorporate and educate on Indigenous history.”
Photo Credit: Aaron & Tara Photography
