Mural Dedication: Honoring Kitihawa

North Park Elementary School invites neighbors, community members, alumni, and media to celebrate the dedication of a new public mural honoring Kitihawa, the Potawatomi woman who co-owned and operated the trading post alongside her husband, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, that became the foundation of Chicago.

Believed to be the first known public mural in the Chicago area dedicated to Kitihawa, the artwork celebrates Indigenous history and her often-overlooked role in Chicago's early history. Created by acclaimed Indigenous Chicago artists Noelle Garcia and Monica Rickert-Bolger, the mural incorporates elements of the Potawatomi origin story Skywoman Falling as well as concepts developed by NPES students through classroom learning.

The dedication ceremony will feature remarks from school leadership, the artists, students, members of the Nielsen family, and invited community leaders. The mural is located on the exterior of the school's newly renovated Performing Arts Studio.

The event is open to community members and offers an opportunity to learn more about Kitihawa, Indigenous history in Chicago, and the student learning and artistic collaboration behind this new public artwork.