A new mural was installed at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) this fall by Indigenous artists Moira Villiard and Tori Thrash, illustrating a common story shared between their tribes.

Villiard, a descendent of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Thrash, a descendent of the Delaware Nation (Lenni-Lenape), titled the piece “The Story of the Rainbow Crow,” which translates to Mënëkwikte ahas (Lenape), and Nagweyaabi-aandeg (Ojibwe). The story features a rainbow-colored bird that gathers fire for human beings to ease their suffering. In the process of doing so, the bird is burned and turns black with iridescent feathers—becoming the black crow we know today.

The artists hope that native students who may have heard the story growing up will find comfort in seeing it represented visually on campus. “I also think the symbolism of transformation is a good message to have on a college campus,” Villiard said.

The 5-by-6-foot canvas mural features detailing in iridescent paint that changes color as the viewer changes their perspective. It can be found just inside the second floor entrance to the Kirby Student Center near the Multicultural Center. Another collaborative work by Villiard titled, “Where Foods Grows on Water” can be found on the opposite side of the Multicultural Center.