April 1-Oskana Ka-asasteki

This sculpture by Joe Fafard is located on FW Hill Mall, between the Twin Towers. About 10 people can eat their lunch on the ledge found at the base of the sculpture.

There are two plaques on either side of this stylized metal cutout of a buffalo (in black, red, and white.) One side describes its unveiling on June 8, 1998. The other side explains what this Fafard sculpture is all about (in both English and Cree.) Below is what is found on the plaque:

oskana ka-asasteki

This sculpture has been given the name oskana ka-asasteki to honour the Cree language, to commemorate the history of our land and to honour the First Nations People of this province.

oskana ka-asasteki, pronounced "OOS-ku-nu KAH uSUS-tay-ki" is the Cree name for the site known as Regina. An approximate translation is "bones that are piled together." There are many different stories about how the site got its name and the origin of the bones referred to. Depending on the explanation, the name can refer to the bones of the First Nations People, the bones of the Buffalo Nation, or in a more figurative sense, the bones of the land itself.

One rendition depicts the bones as having been moved to a nearby hilltop from a 'pound' or kill enclosure that became so full of buffalo bones that bison would not enter. According to another version, the name refers to the death of the buffalo and the end of the Old Ways. Still another account reports that the bones were the bones of First Nations People who died from the scrouge of smallpox. The bones were actually a testament to those who had died and served as a warning about the dreaded disease. As with other legends, the history behind oskana ka-asasteki has become a sited blend of lore, linking a storied past with a vision of the future.