Journey to Indigenization: 'Ani to pisi' comes alive
For the second year in a row, hundreds will gather to form a human spider web on Mount Royal’s soccer field as a physical representation of Ani to pisi (spider web). The event is one of many during the annual Journey to Indigenization.
“Ani to pisi” (spider web) is a creation story that comes from Siksika Elder Clement Bear Chief, who passed away in 2022.
For years Clement’s younger brother Elder Roy Bear Chief held onto the story until he realized the broader implications of its teachings. Ani to pisi has been shared and used at the leadership (macro and micro levels) at MRU and is a foundational component of the Faculty of Health, Community and Education Strategic Plan.
Visually, Ani to pisi is depicted by a spider web, which demonstrates the interconnectedness of everything. Strands weave together to create a web that spiders use to catch their prey. When something lands in their web, they feel the vibrations
“It connects us all. It speaks to the idea that we all belong here, regardless of who we are,” Bear Chief says.
Bringing hundreds of people together to create a physical spider web where everyone is connected by hanging on to the people around them allows for people to feel Ani to pisi.
“If there are problems anywhere on the web, it will vibrate, and if you feel those vibrations, you are supposed to go and help,” explains Bear Chief, who was named as one of Mount Royal’s 2024 Honorary Doctorate recipients.
Not only is the human spider web a testament to MRU’s commitment to reconciliation, says Bear Chief, but it is a way to honour his brother Clement. “That, to me, is the icing on the cake. Even though my brother is no longer here physically, his spirit is indeed present in the spiderweb.”
“The opportunity to enact Ani to pisi as a shared experience brings us together in reconciliation and is an important lead-in to acknowledging the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation,” says John Fischer, interim associate vice-president of indigenization and decolonization.