TORONTO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Ryerson Ring is a physical acknowledgment of Indigenous understanding of the land on which Ryerson University(RU) now sits. The Ring is made of Corten steel, oriented along the cardinal points so that the pathway through the ring's void is cardinal east and cardinal west. The ring is intended to be a monument that acknowledges place and the land it sits upon.

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The design of the graphics on the ring incorporates the 7 grandparent teachings and their animal symbols (humility, courage, honesty, wisdom, truth, respect, and love). The perforations also include the lunar moon phases surrounded by stars and the Pleiades Constellation. The perforations have a celestial characteristic when light is passed through the sculpture.

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TRA performed all the consultations to establish a design direction from the Indigenous Community at RU. With this knowledge, we worked through several design charettes to establish three concepts, from which one was selected. TRA then furthered the design through continuous consultation for the perforations on the ring. While this process may have taken longer, the result is unprecedented support for the project at all levels of the University, including the executive.