why dedicate these walls to the Saikus?

No one is born hating another person.... People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally.... Nelson Mandela

When people see these images, they experience
a meaningful part of the life of the Saikus
and their experience builds understanding
and deepens understanding

and expands understanding
to a new set of ideas and words  
to describe the Saikus
words that not ugly and flawed
words that are based on the sincerity of experience
words that are based on the authority of experience

no longer unfortunate words or cavalier words
but polite and pleasant and mannerly words

Within each of these images is a life
from the Saikus
A life that has been lived with faith and hope
and goodwill and goodness
And, in my experience, a life that has often
been cheerful, and kind, and friendly

And what is this life?
Chief Crowfoot of the Siksika Nation said
Life is the flash of a firefly in the night
It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass
and loses itself in the sunset

If life is so brief and short, why bother with meaning?
Because meaning sets us apart
Because, in life, as our elders have shown us,
we mean to behave as well as we can
our humanity drives us to do good for all our benefit
to do good so that the future will be better
for us and our children and their children

I hope and I believe these images of life
among the Saikus
reveals our humanity
reveals our desire to be good and to do good
for ourselves
and our families
and our neighbors
and for all our generations