Indigenous artist chosen to design Canada's Afghan war monument

The federal government has selected an Indigenous artist's design concept for a planned national monument to Canada's mission in Afghanistan.

Veterans Affairs Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced Monday that Adrian Stimson's design won out after many rounds of consultations with the public and stakeholders. He said veterans influenced the choice of final design.

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Stimson was sent to Afghanistan through the Canadian Forces Artist Program. He said he tried to capture what he and other Canadians were experiencing in Afghanistan through his art.

Stimson's design for the monument "draws on elements of healing from the Medicine Wheel and takes the form of a circular, sacred space of safety, a home base of reflection, memory and contemplation," says the press release.

"It is made up of four portals, where an interior area is the sanctuary where the fallen are remembered. Inscribed on the walls of three of the quadrants is the year, names of the fallen and maple leaves, in several rows. The fourth southeast quadrant wall facing the direction of Afghanistan is dedicated to fallen Afghan allies. In the centre, four bronze flak jackets stand draped on crosses — utilitarian yet poignant reminders of protection."

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/monument-afghanistan-indigenous-artist-1.6881356