We are proud to feature Jean Paul Langlois, a Métis artist from Vancouver Island and currently based in East Vancouver, as the creator of our badge in observance of the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.

About the Artist

Jean’s work draws inspiration from television and cinema — particularly Westerns, 70s science fiction, and Saturday morning cartoons. Using ultra-saturated colors, references to art history, and familiar cinematic tropes, he explores the sense of alienation he feels from his own cultural backgrounds, both Indigenous and settler.

His art is a personal examination of his life, reinterpreting family stories through the lens of the pop culture that shaped him. The result is a distinctive and recognizable style: familiar figures inhabiting vibrant worlds of bright colors and flattened space.

Return of the Buffalo to Cypress Hills

The badge, Return of the Buffalo to Cypress Hills, was created using digital drawing and carries deep significance. Jean chose the buffalo as a symbol of truth and reconciliation. Its destruction was used as a tool in the displacement and genocide of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island. Today, the return of the herds symbolizes resilience, healing, and renewal.

Visiting the Cypress Hills, where his great-great-great-grandfather Jean Baptiste Gariepy once hunted buffalo, became a moving pilgrimage — a way for Jean to reconnect with his family’s story and the larger history of his people.

Cultural Influences and Symbolism

Jean recently participated in a Métis residency at the Banff Centre alongside 18 other Métis artists. Many focused on traditional practices such as beadwork and weaving, inspiring Jean to integrate these patterns into his own work. You can see these details in the buffalo’s eye and the texture of its fur.

The landscape in the badge also carries meaning. It reflects the Métis sash, a fingerwoven, colorful belt from the fur trade era. The colors are drawn from the Cypress Hills, uniting history, culture, and the natural world in a single image.

Reflection and Significance

Return of the Buffalo to Cypress Hills invited our employees to consider colonization and its impacts from a different perspective. Beyond Jean’s personal journey, the work points to a larger story of truth and reconciliation. The near-extinction of the buffalo reminds us of deliberate attempts to sever Indigenous connections to land and culture, while residential schools sought to erase identity and language. Both are painful chapters — yet they also highlight the resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples.

Observing September 30

On September 30, we wear orange to honor the children who never came home, the Survivors, and their families. Sharing stories like Jean’s reminds us of the importance of restoring what was taken and walking together toward healing.

Just as the buffalo has returned to the prairies, reconciliation is about renewal, hope, and the strength to build a better future.