University of Southern Maine - McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success

I applied and won a call for art to paint a mural at the new McGoldrick Center that was opening up on USM’s Portland campus end of summer 2023! This was a really awesome full circle moment for me being a USM alumna and where I had been involved with the Native American Student Alliance (now known as Student Alliance of Indigenous Peoples) during my time at the university.

Water is important in the Wabanaki culture. Rivers were used for traveling and fishing. It’s no surprise that water (ocean) is essential when describing Portland, Maine. The turtle is a representation for the land we reside on, Turtle Island is what we call North America based upon traditional creation stories. Purple for the turtle was deliberately chosen as a link to the crown chakra which represents the connection to spirituality. The dots within the water draw inspiration from indigenous beadwork patterns. The circle in the center is a Medicine Wheel which is very significant in Native American culture. It is a symbol or guide used for health and healing, representing the circle of life and how one must keep balance of all parts to maintain a healthy life. There are different interpretations of what the four quadrants can represent but most can agree that each one stands for the four directions, four seasons, four elements, four stages of life (birth, adult, elder, death), four aspects of life (mental, emotional, physical, spiritual), spirit animals, etc. The curve symbol around the border of the Medicine Wheel is a Mi’kmaq hieroglyph (suckerfish script) meaning to be a native person or to be a land dwelling human being. The curve design on the side can signify Mother Earth, balance, and unity among nations. The words, “tan wetapeksultiyiq - where we come from” narrates the piece as a whole, paying respects to those who were here before us and representing future generations that this is our home and where we came from.