Reconciliation Week 2019 OKI Sign - Jared Gyorffy

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Given the chance to contribute to Reconciliation Week, three University of Lethbridge new media students, working through the Agility Program, took the opportunity to make something unique. Using 3D printers, the group designed desktop gifts depicting the traditional Blackfoot greeting, Oki, as a small standup sign. The gifts were then presented to dignitaries who visited the city for Reconciliation Week activities, as well as mayors who attended the Mid-Sized Cities Mayors’ Caucus meeting. “On Monday, Oki became the official greeting of the City of Lethbridge and we were looking for a way of providing a gift to some dignitaries coming to town that reflected Blackfoot culture and language,” says Perry Stein, Indigenous relations advisor. “As 2019 is the International Year of Indigenous Languages, we’re trying to celebrate that theme as part of Reconciliation Week and also trying to find those opportunities to make the conversation live beyond this week or even this year.” Stein looked to the U of L’s Department of New Media, who in turn contacted the Agility Program. He met with Jared Gyorffy, Connor Kingston and Sara SŽfel and gave them the background to start working on the designs to be printed. Within a week they were gifted to all of the mayors. “Perry came and talked to the students about the reconciliation logo, the context of the Oki sign and they were able to embody their own design effects into the process,” says Brandy Old, agility manager. “It was neat to watch them listen to Perry and the city’s reconciliation plan because these were three students, one from Hungary, who don’t necessarily have much connection with the Blackfoot story. For them to understand the point of the project, what the reconciliation logo means and to walk through the federal government’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission was inspiring.” Team members on the Oki, Reconciliation Week gifts say the project was an opportunity to use a community partner to foster relationship building.

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