Public Call for Design

Project Background

The Legacy of Treaty 4: A Tribute to MMIWG2S+ project is a community-led initiative in Regina, Saskatchewan, developed in response to the 2019 release of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Final Report.

Supported by Reconciliation Regina, in partnership with the City of Regina, the project began with trauma-informed community consultations facilitated by Dr. Kim McKay McNabb, engaging survivors and families affected by MMIWG2S+. Refined by a panel of over 13 Elders, these consultations led to the formation of the project vision and three guiding themes.

The project vision is to provide a platform for voices to share truth and create a space to acknowledge the injustices perpetrated against MMIWG2S+ people and their families, the burden of these human and Indigenous rights violations and how they impact Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIAP+.

The guiding themes are:

  • Commemorate: Honour and remember MMIWG2S+ lives.
  • Educate: Share truths and knowledge with the broader community.
  • Activate: Inspire action and provide a platform for underrepresented voices.

The Design

The commemorative site will be in Māmowimīwēyitamōwin Park (formerly Regent Park), a newly renovated, accessible public space named in Cree to reflect its meaning: “gathering of happiness and joy.” The site was chosen for its visibility, accessibility and existing infrastructure that supports year-round community use.

The site conceptual design was completed by David Garneau, Tracy Desjarlais, Jason Surkan and Felicia Gay in consultation with the project’s Elders. The commemorative site will include a central fire pit, thirteen surrounding Grandfather boulders and a Corten steel retaining wall. Indigenous artists, designers and teams are invited to submit detailed designs and artistic interventions for these elements. The site will be framed by berms planted with native species and medicines, rising to approximately five feet to create a sunken, enveloping space.

The successful proposal will strongly align with the presented concepts, Indigenous world views, the overall project vision and themes of the project elders.

Note: This call is for design only. Fabrication and installation costs must be included within the proposed budgets. However, the City of Regina will be responsible for managing any fabrication and installation work within the selected budget.

The Call for Artistic Intervention/Detailed Design

The City of Regina, in partnership with Reconciliation Regina is issuing a call for Indigenous artists, designers and teams to submit proposals for The Legacy of Treaty 4: A Tribute to MMIWG2S+ Commemoration Project. The commemorative site will include a central fire pit, 13 surrounding Grandfather boulders and a Corten steel retaining wall. Artists are invited to submit detailed designs and artistic interventions for these elements. Applicants may choose to design all three, two or one of the listed elements (retaining wall steel, fire pit, boulders). However, all designs must contain a central firepit. Applications are open to First Nations, Métis and Inuit professional artists, with preference given to those connected to Treaty 4 Territory.

Budget Information

  • The budget for this project is up to $75,000, which includes all artistic and/or design fees, supplies, fabrication and installation.
  • The steel wall and boulders will be provided, however installation costs should be considered in the budget. Artists will need to budget for the firepit material, design and installation costs.
  • The successful applicants should budget for design fees over the duration of the project.
  • The City of Regina will manage fabrication and installation directly, as outlined by the proposal.
  • As part of the proposal, applicants must provide a detailed budget outlining how their design would be realized, including fabrication and installation.
  • Applicants may choose to design all three, two or one of the listed elements (retaining wall steel, fire pit, boulders). However, all designs must contain a central firepit.
  • Delivery date for this project is September 2026.

Eligibility

This opportunity is open to First Nations, Métis or Inuit professional artists. Preference will be given to artists with connections to Treaty 4 First Nation(s) or with the Métis Settlements and Métis Nation Regions within Treaty 4 territory.

Location

The area in Māmowimīwēyitamōwin Park under consideration for the installation is located behind the playground and to the right of the athletic field (see map). There are already existing pathways that lead to the site. The site's conceptual plan includes the location and map of the park.

Technical Aspects

  • The design must be durable and able to withstand extreme, year-round Saskatchewan weather conditions. This includes rain, snow, strong wind and high ultraviolet light exposure.
  • The artwork must be safe and accessible for public use in an unsupervised park system. Applicants should be aware that the artwork is in a public area and will be at risk of vandalism.
  • The design should activate the space and be accessible to all patrons of the park.
  • If lighting is included in the design, a light distribution map is required for proposed elements.
  • The fire pit should be approximately 1 m (W).
  • The retaining wall will be approximately 0.5 m (W) × 20 m (L) × 1.2 m (H).
  • The boulders will be approximately 3 – 4 ft (H) (sizes may vary slightly).
  • The selected artist(s)/designer will be required to work with City Administration to produce all designed elements/artistic interventions.
  • The selected artist(s)/designer will be required to consult with the project Elders and the Design Panel to finalize all detailed design.
  • Fabrication and installation of the detailed designs will be managed by the City of Regina.
  • The successful applicant(s) must provide sufficient detail in their budgets to clearly inform design, fabrication and installation.

Proposal Information

All proposals shall include the following:  

  1. A statement of intent, either:
    1. Letter of intent – not exceeding a total of 1200 words; or
    2. Video of intent – not exceeding a total of 15 minutes.

      Statements of intent, both letter or video, should include the following information:
      1. A design statement, including information describing your interest in the project and conceptual design.
      2. A description of how the project will interact with or engage the viewer according to the project’s stated vision and themes.
      3. A description of how you plan to add artistic interventions/detailed design to the proposed elements of the site.
      4. Artist statement and biography including your connections and relationship to Regina and Treaty Four territory, relevant accomplishments, and experiences with similar projects, where applicable.
  2. CV (including all relevant team members).
  3. A visual representation or sketch of your design. 
  4. Detailed budget.
  5. A separate folder with up to six (6) examples of existing work for review and consideration.

To ensure our public spaces reflect the diversity of our community, please indicate if you belong to any other equity-deserving groups such as 2SLGBTQIAP+, people with disabilities/disabled people, older adults and youth.

Proposals shall not:

  • Include design elements that feature advertisements or promotions for commercial businesses or products.
  • Include design elements that are discriminatory, include profanity or otherwise offensive content.
  • Include design elements that breach intellectual property or trademarks.

The City of Regina will not support submissions that engage in cultural misappropriation (sometimes known as appropriation) and prioritizes artwork that reflects the artists’ own culture(s).

Cultural misappropriation is the deliberate or accidental borrowing from a culture that is not your own without respect, understanding or permission. This may include cultural practices or objects, music, stories, ceremonies or imagery.

Additional information and resources can be found at: CARFAC Indigenous Protocols for the Visual Arts.

Selection Process

Applicants will be shortlisted, and the top applicants will be invited to an interview and present a rendering or maquette of the final piece. The selection committee is the project’s Indigenous Design Panel responsible for the conceptual design of the commemoration site.

An honorarium for proposal development will be extended to the shortlisted artists/teams. Shortlisted applicants will be notified by October 31, 2025. Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Once chosen, the selected artist will be responsible for delivering their respective artwork in line with project deadlines. The successful applicant may be required to participate in ongoing engagement with the Elders and/or Design panel as required for further refinement of the finished design.

Application Submission

Applications should be submitted via e-mail to The City of Regina at mmattison@regina.ca.

Deadline for proposal submission: Friday, September 26 at 4 p.m. CST. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

For more information or questions related to the call please contact Marah Mattison at mmattison@regina.ca.

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