ALGONQUINS OF PIKWÀKANAGÀN ARTIST DESIGNS OTTAWA PLAYER OF THE MATCH AWARDS

Connor nidijinikaz, Nandotawa Tibikad, Pikwàkanagàn nindondjiba, makwa nidodem, an artist from the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, has painted the Player of the Match awards that will be presented at the conclusion of the upcoming matches featuring Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team against Scotland and Romania. These games are being played at TD Place in Ottawa on the ancestral and unceded Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, and we are incredible grateful for the opportunity to play upon this land.  

Connor is the artist’s colonial name and Listens to the Darkness is his spirit name. He is of the bear clan. Connor has spent the last three decades perfecting his love of oil painting. He has participated in multiple art shows, has facilitated workshops, and has had his work on display at the Kabeshinàn Minitig Pavilion in Ottawa and the Art Gallery of Bancroft. His career highlights include having his work in Geez Magazine and creating ads for Mopar Muscle Magazine.  

Connor designed “Night Watchers” for the Player of the Match awards. “Connecting Through the Veil” will be presented to the Horn Family. A stalwart supporter of Canadian rugby, Alan Horn passed away in January 2023. The pinnacle of Horn’s support of Canadian rugby was the sponsorship of the Douglas Horn Cup, named after his father, who played rugby in Scotland. The formal name of the trophy is the Douglas JL Horn Memorial Cup. The trophy, first played for in 2008, is contested any time Scotland and Canada play rugby. 

NIGHT WATCHERS  
Player of the Match Awards 
Words from the artist  

A solo Hoop Dancer dances with a dozen and up to 28 hoops during the Sacred Hoop Dance. The Hoop Dancer brings a message of unity, wholeness and the continuity of life and speaks to the interconnectedness of all living things. 

Protecting the Hoop Dancer in the night sky is the spirit helpers of the eagle and the wolf. 

The spirit of the wolf is sacred as one of the Seven Grandfather Teachings. The wolf symbolizes humility, forming deep bonds and depending on each other to survive. Wolves put the pack first and ensure everyone is protected and taken care of. The wolf is a strong messenger from the Creator who protects and watches over us. 

The spirit of the eagle is also one of the Seven Grandfather Teachings. The eagle symbolizes love, flies the highest of all birds, and carries our messages to the Creator. In the eagle’s ability to fly high in the sky symbolizes the strong connection between the physical and spiritual realms. 

CONNECTING THROUGH THE VEIL  
Presentation to the Horn family  
Words from the artist  

Many nations have different meanings behind the dream catcher. In my teachings the dream catcher is there to allow the souls of those who died pass through so they may return to the stars through the hole in the centre of the web. This hole also allows good dreams to pass through while the web catches the bad dreams from reaching those while they sleep. 

The eagle represents love in the Seven Grandfather Teachings and carries our messages up to the Creator. The eagle feathers symbolize strength and the ability to speak from the heart. Those who carry an eagle feather have earned that privilege. The middle vane of the feather represents the path each of us walk on and each barb represents the choices we make in life. Notice how each choice is connected to the path we walk. The eagle flies in both the spirit and physical worlds as the master of the skies and closely listens and watches over us.