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The new Lethbridge College Kodiaks Indigenous logo has been unveiled, September 9, 2022. (Image: Lethbridge College)

Lethbridge College unveils Indigenous Kodiaks logo

Sep 9, 2022 | 4:13 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A new Indigenous logo has been unveiled for Lethbridge College’s gym.

The post-secondary school says it will be the first in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) to incorporate Indigenous culture in its gymnasium floor design.

It was designed by Blackfoot artist Monte Eagle Plume. He says the arrow starting at the mouth of the painted drawing of a bear represents the life force of the animal and all that it uses to sustain itself.

Fans in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium will also see the word Aikowania (ay-GO-aww-nya) on one side of the court next to the bear.

Lethbridge College Indigenous Services Manager Lowell Yellow Horn says Aikowania refers to body awareness and movement.

“You’ll see the traditional representation of our mountains and the teepee – our lodges,” says Yellow Horn. He adds the design reflects the idea that “this is our lodge – the Kodiaks’ lodge, and really brings it home for our student-athletes that this is a place of belonging.”

On the other side of the court are the words “Welcome to Ohkotoki’aahkkoiyiiniimaan,” which refers to the college’s Blackfoot name, Stone Pipe.

Manager of Kodiaks Athletics Todd Caughlin says incorporating Blackfoot elements on the gym floors is important.

“It is a commitment our entire college has made and it reflects our promise to every student who has passed through our doors, past, present and future,” says Caughlin.

Along with the addition of the Indigenous logo, a few other renovations have recently been completed at the college’s gym including refinished hardwood compliments on the walls and upgrades to the lighting, scoreboard, sound, and video equipment. New bleachers are planned to be installed in summer 2023.