Interior Health says a local Indigenous artist will be designing the ‘cultural wall’ in the new Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Tower at Royal Inland Hospital.

In partnership with the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, the Secwépemc Health Caucus, the Two Rivers Métis Society, and the RIH Foundation, the health authority said Monday that Chris Bose was tapped to lead the project.

They say he will be engaging with members of the Nations whose traditional territories surround Royal Inland Hospital, including the Secwépemc, Dãkelh Dené, Tsilhqot’in, Northern St’at’imc, Nlaka’pamux and Syilx. Bose is also working with the Two Rivers Métis Society in Kamloops and Métis Nation BC, as well as with Inuit people who live in the area.

When complete, Interior Health says the wall will be an artistic representation of Secwépemc traditional territory, honouring guest Nations to the region.

“I’m thrilled to be given this responsibility, to bring together so many different cultures into one artistic representation,” Bose said, in a statement.

“There is incredible artwork represented in all of the Nations in this area. To have art that represents our people in the hospital, it means a lot. To be able to show the culture of the different Nations and help make the hospital more welcoming to our people, that is our goal.”

Bose is a well-known Secwépemc and Nlaka’pamux multi-disciplinary artist, and a founding member of the Arbour Collective, an Aboriginal arts collective based in Kamloops. He is also the facilitator of community arts events and workshops in the community.

“This artwork will provide a warm welcome to all people who enter the hospital, honouring the rich diversity through the region and serving as a clear reflection of our shared commitment to cultural safety,” Interior Health President and CEO, Susan Brown, said, in a statement.

“As we look toward the opening of the Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Tower at RIH, I would like to thank Chris Bose and all of the project partners for their support.”

Funding for the project – which will be located on the first floor – is being provided by the RIH Foundation. It will be complete in time for the tower’s opening this July.

“On behalf of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc I am so pleased to have a well-known and talented artist such as Chris Bose to facilitate the design of the wall project,” Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir, said. “We have every confidence in Chris’s ability to complete and capture the essence of who we are within Secwepemcúlecw, showcasing our beautiful territory.”

“We see the wall project design as an opportunity to educate, create awareness and take steps towards meaningful reconciliation, while providing inclusion to us, as the direct local First Nation, and to all Indigenous clients of RIH.”