Gichi-Gekek (Grand Hawk)-Matthew Tran-Adams, composer

Toronto stands on the traditional lands of the Mississauga First Credit peoples. The Haudenosaunee and Wendat nations also lived on this land. Their relationship with the land is long and well established, yet most Canadians know very little about this history. Toronto was a major trading ground and home to many First Nations’ peoples until they were forced to leave by the settlers.
I look out my downtown Toronto apartment windows on the 18th floor-so many square, angular, stark, colourless buildings as far as the eye can see. Always building … always adding … all in the name of ‘progress.’ Small pockets of green protrude as nature fights to claim its rightful place. Humans may invade the landscape but nature must carry on.
Squares …rectangles …squares!
But for a few minutes a hawk interrupts. She flies by my window and draws circles in the sky. Freely amongst the angles and jagged shapes she takes us back to our centre. She reminds us of our humble beginnings, a history known and unknown, and shows us a path to bring us into harmony with Mother Earth and Father Sky.
For this I say… Miigwetch!