Innovation influenced by creative arts
We're covering a neighborhood's name change, dance and AI, and an Indigenous language game for museum goers
Boozhoo News River Readers,
A quick one this week, we’re sharing a neighbourhood name change commemorated with a new mural, how dance performance and AI are reimagining collective expression and challenging systemic barriers, and an Indigenous language game capable of reaching 90,000 students through museum visits!
Thanks for being here.
Curated Articles:
Manitoba Museum launches Indigenous language game
The interactive language game, Anishinaabemowin with Amik, is available on the museum’s website and focuses on animal names that are native to Manitoba and found throughout the museum galleries. “It’s just basically to support learning and language revitalization of Anishinaabemowin, the Anishinaabe language,” said Tashina Houle-Gaywish, head of Indigenous programming and engagement at the Manitoba Museum. The game features memory and matching challenges and incorporates the Manitoba dialect of Anishinaabemowin. She said the game will be “especially beneficial” for teachers to use in pre-visit programming, with upwards of 90,000 students attending the museum annually.
CIRA is proud to announce 13 transformative, community-led initiatives funded through its 2025 Net Good Grants program. From remote broadband infrastructure to youth-focused cybersecurity training, these projects are advancing internet safety, access and digital sovereignty across Canada. Each initiative equips communities with the tools, knowledge and infrastructure they need to thrive in an increasingly challenging digital world. The collective impact spans most provinces and territories, reflecting a broad and diverse commitment to digital resilience from the ground up. Every initiative is rooted in local collaboration, underscoring a community-first approach to digital empowerment. These projects not only focus on youth development, but will also train educators, parents and community leaders, extending their impact through intergenerational learning and institutional partnerships.
Wîhkwêntôwin unveils mural celebrating Indigenous roots and community unity
The Wîhkwêntôwin Community League unveiled a mural painted by a local Indigenous artist on July 12, reflecting the inclusivity behind Edmonton’s largest neighbourhood’s new Cree name. Kayla Bellerose painted the mural, which is displayed in the tunnel that’s shared by a bike path and the High Level Bridge Streetcar tracks, located just north of Constable Ezio Faraone Park. “All of us are connected. All of us are related. We’re all human beings, living here, sharing this land as Treaty people. Let’s respect each other, let’s be kind to each other, let’s live together as a community.” In January 2024, the community league announced that the neighbourhood formerly known as Oliver would henceforth be known as Wîhkwêntôwin, which translates to ‘circle of friends’ in Cree.
Driving ethical innovation - Creative Collectivities
Through Connected Minds Team Grants, Queen’s researchers are harnessing technology to support responsible innovation. Connected Minds unites researchers from York and Queen’s to shape technology that serves equity, health, and society. Michael Wheeler (DAN School of Drama and Music) is collaborating with York’s Laura Levin to study how participatory technologies, from immersive theatre to artificial intelligence, can foster more inclusive ways of coming together. Their project, Creative Collectivities, involves artists, engineers, neuroscientists, and community partners from 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, racialized, and disabled communities. By combining live performance with digital tools such as AI, the team is reimagining how technology can support collective expression and challenge systemic barriers. The goal is to create shared spaces, both physical and virtual, where diverse voices shape not only the stories being told but also the tools used to tell them. Through collaboration and experimentation, Creative Collectivities is exploring how performance and emerging technologies can reflect the needs and imaginations of marginalized communities.
MDW Jewelry Designer Meghan Weeks’ Is Reclaiming Her Culture
In Meghan Weeks’ new Vancouver studio, among her various tools and works-in-progress, stand two boxing trophies. The jewellery designer keeps them on display as a reminder to herself to approach life’s obstacles with determination and confidence. Her experience in boxing has mirrored her path as an artist. “To have my mind focused only on reaching my goal and winning the fight has been huge,” she says. “I feel like they’re connected.” For Weeks, jewellery is also a way to learn about and reclaim her culture as a Cree woman from Treaty 8 territory and a member of Sucker Creek First Nation. Her work often draws from Indigenous teachings and family, especially her grandmother. Each piece brims with personal significance and is wrapped in whimsy and humour.
