“Our exchange was a career defining moment.”

Leadership Exchange Participant

The Challenge

Some of our cities are built on first nation and indigenous territories. How can we celebrate indigenous communities and contribute towards reconciliation?  

The indigenous communities play a significant role in the social fabric of Toronto and of Sydney. Yet both cities faced a common challenge: the historical lack of visibility and recognition for their indigenous communities. Their aim was to explore the potential of public art and innovative urban design to celebrate local identities and integrate indigenous arts and culture into their urban policies.  

In 2017, Toronto City Council established a new Office for Aboriginal Affairs to make progress into the city’s action plan for truth and reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples. The City of Sydney was committed to creating a Eora Journey – ‘Eora’ means ‘the people’ in the Gadigal language, so the Eora Journey is ‘the people’s journey’ as part of the Sustainable Sydney 2030 plan including a commitment to creating works of national significance by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and designers. 

The Exchange

Toronto visited Sydney and the programme included:  

• Learning about ‘Eora Journey’ public art program and cultural mapping initiatives.  
• Visiting the Tribal Warrior tour of Sydney harbour, hosted by Aboriginal guides.  
• Visiting Carriageworks, one of Australia’s most significant contemporary arts organisations.  
• Gaining insights on engaging with local Aboriginal community elders and key organisations. 

Sydney visited Toronto and the programme included:  

• A tour of Toronto’s indigenous past with First Story, an indigenous community-based organisation.  
• Meeting indigenous artists, curators and culture leaders  
• Learning about the City of Toronto’s Parks, Forestry and Recreation’s new approaches to placemaking  
• Exploring how Aboriginal culture is now part of the city’s planning system 

Lessons Learned

• Public artworks can be a powerful commitment to reconciliation. 
• Reconciliation programmes need to be led and informed by first nation and indigenous communities.  
• Aboriginal arts and culture can be integrated into urban policy and placemaking. 
• Long term commitment from the city to improving representation in the public realm. 

Impact

• Inspired by the exchange, the city of Toronto launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan describing the experience as career-defining for many participants.  
• Toronto drew inspiration from Sydney’s collaboration with artist Tony Albert, culminating in the monumental sculptural piece ‘Yininmadyemi, Thou Didst Let Fall.’ This guided Toronto’s major public monument project.  
• The National Anthem played at the beginning of Toronto City Council is now performed in three languages – English, French and Ojibwe.
• Following the exchange, Sydney increased its commitment to reconciliation by increasing its budget from $5 million in 2013 to $17 million in 2022.  
• Sydney embraced a holistic approach to public art, emphasizing Indigenous applications and integrating cultural inclusivity into its urban fabric. 
• The City of Sydney publicly supported the “Yes” referendum vote for First Nations representation in the Australian Constitution.