At HGH we’re really honoured to have cemented a long-standing creative partnership with celebrated Indigenous artist David M. General, a member of Six Nations of the Grand River.
David is known for his modernist stone and bronze sculptures that explore Indigenous themes, stories and symbols – and his work can be found in public spaces and art collections across Canada.
We first worked together back in 2014 on Eagles Among Us, a large-scale public artwork at Battlefield Park in Stoney Creek. Since then, we’ve collaborated on a number of projects, each with its own story and set of challenges.
What we really love about our relationship with David is that when he has a new project involving granite, he picks up the phone and gives us a call. He knows our team and trusts us to help him work through the practical side of bringing his ideas to life.
His latest project, Remember Honour Renew, was installed (by the HGH team) at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business in Hamilton in September 2026. It’s a significant new work, and one we were delighted to play a role in.
Remember Honour Renew: A New Work at McMaster University
Every project with David starts with his ideas.
For Remember Honour Renew, his vision drew on ‘Dish with One Spoon’ – an Indigenous agreement centred on sharing and caring for the land and its resources.
The sculpture also looks back to the history of the 1701 Treaty of Montreal, which invited Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to consider their relationships and responsibilities as treaty partners today.
As you might imagine, there’s a great deal of meaning in the sculpture.
Inside the sculpture are symbols relating to the Thanksgiving Address, a Haudenosaunee expression of gratitude for the natural world; and the Seven Grandfather Teachings, which offer guidance on living with wisdom, love, respect, bravery, honesty, humility and truth. There’s also a reference to the offering of Beavertail, another element David has incorporated into the work.
Around the exterior, pottery designs represent the earth, while celestial domes along the rim represent the heavens. Together, these details connect the artwork to Indigenous teachings and the responsibilities we all share to making the world a better place.
The Dish itself is presented in four separate sections, with a wave of hands reaching across them.
For David, the hands represent the cooperation and commitment needed from Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to raise the four components and restore the Dish to a functioning vessel.
The Granite Has Its Own Story to Tell
When you first see Remember Honour Renew, the bronze sculpture naturally catches your attention.
But look a little closer at the granite beneath it.
For this project, HGH supplied the Bahama Blue granite used to create the substantial base. Not just a platform for the bronze sculpture to stand on, the granite also carries inscriptions, words and imagery that form part of the artwork’s message.
That’s something we’ve come to appreciate through our work with David. Granite might be used for the sculpture itself – or, provide its foundation; or, become a surface for engraving and storytelling. Every project seems to ask something a little different of the granite.
Our role is to understand what David wants to achieve, then bring our knowledge of granite selection, sourcing, fabrication and installation to the conversation.
Sometimes that means finding a particular colour or finish. Sometimes it means working out how intricate details can be produced in granite. Other times,it’s about making sure a large, complex artwork can be safely and successfully installed.
For Remember Honour Renew, it also meant being there when everything finally came together.
Installation Day: Seeing It All Come Together
After the conversations, planning, fabrication and preparation, installation day is always special.
Our team helped David install Remember Honour Renew at McMaster University, making sure the granite base and finished artwork came together as intended.
We were there with David to enjoy the moment, catch up and take plenty of photographs along the way (as you can see here!)
When you’ve worked with someone on different projects over so many years, it always feels good to reach this part together. You know how much thought and work has gone into the piece, and you finally get to see it in the place it was designed for.
For David, it’s another important artwork out in the world. For us, it’s another chapter in a working relationship that means a great deal to us.
More Than a Decade of Working Together
Remember Honour Renew isn’t the first time David has called us with an idea involving granite. Over the years, we’ve worked with him on projects of different scopes and sizes.
Some have involved monumental granite sculpture. Others have combined granite and bronze, or required detailed engraving and carefully selected stone colours.
Here’s a look back at a few of them…
Eagles Among Us, Battlefield Park, Stoney Creek – 2014
This is where our working relationship began.
Eagles Among Us features four nine-foot-high granite eagles, created by David around themes of healing and reconciliation.
The four granite colours were selected to represent the colours of the Ojibwa Medicine Wheel, while engraved symbols and text add further meaning to the work.
It was an ambitious project and a memorable introduction to working with David.
Speaking about the experience, he told us: “HGH surpassed my expectations of what could be accomplished using granite – its classic, timeless and durable qualities.”
Maanjidowin (The Gathering), Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport – 2022
A few years later, we worked together on something quite different.
Maanjidowin (The Gathering) is a 16-foot granite and bronze sculpture recognizing the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and their relationship to the land, air and water.
The artwork features three mythical fishers – Bear, Otter and Eagle – travelling by canoe along Toronto’s Lake Ontario shoreline.
HGH sourced and supplied polished Tan Brown granite for the animal figures, Silver Bronze granite for the canoe and Bahama Blue granite for the base.
Our team also engraved David’s artwork into the stone, carefully positioning the stencils before sandblasting the designs.
It’s a good example of the precision and attention to detail that can go into creating a large-scale public artwork in granite.
Other Projects Along the Way
Challenge and Triumph, the Thomas Longboat Memorial, Toronto, Ontario – 2015
Created for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Challenge and Triumph honours Thomas Longboat, the legendary Onondaga distance runner from Six Nations of the Grand River who also served in the First World War. David’s life-sized sculpture celebrates Longboat’s achievements and legacy. Originally unveiled in Toronto, the memorial is now displayed at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford, Ontario.
She Dances with the Earth, Water, and Sky, University of Ottawa, Ontario – 2019
Unveiled in October 2019 on the Tabaret Lawn at the University of Ottawa, this polished granite sculpture was commissioned as part of the university’s efforts towards reconciliation and bringing Indigenous art into its public spaces.
The artwork depicts an abstract female figure wrapped in a shawl, reflecting women’s connection to the earth, water and sky as givers and keepers of life.
Conversations and Stories, Joseph Brant Museum, Burlington, Ontario – 2023
This sculpture for the Joseph Brant Museum in Burlington, features two women on their way to visit the museum, one carrying her granddaughter. It communicates the importance of Indigenous language and the role of older generations in passing knowledge and teachings on to younger ones.
HGH worked with David on the blue granite sculptures and also installed this piece.
The Artist’s Vision Always Comes First
Working with an artist is a bit different from supplying granite for a typical architectural project and there’s not always a standard route from drawing to installation.
A project might begin with a sketch, a concept or a particular story the artist wants to tell. From there, we can work through the stone colours, finishes, scale, engraving, fabrication and installation requirements together.
That’s where our experience comes in. We’ve spent decades sourcing and working with granite, and we understand the possibilities of granite and the practical challenges involved in using it.
David brings the vision – our job is to listen, understand what he’s trying to achieve and find the right way for the granite and our craftsmanship to support it.
It’s a big part of why this relationship has worked so well over the years.
And it’s the same approach we bring to collaborations with other artists, architects, landscape designers, municipalities and contractors.
Another Chapter in the Story
Remember Honour Renew at McMaster University adds another important chapter to our relationship with David M. General.
Installed in 2026, 325 years after the 1701 Treaty of Montreal, the artwork encourages people who encounter it at McMaster to think about history, shared responsibilities and the relationships we continue to build today.
We’re really pleased to have played our part in bringing David’s latest vision to life, from supplying the Bahama Blue granite to being there alongside him for the installation.
And knowing David, we wouldn’t be surprised if another phone call comes our way before too long. We look forward to it!
Working on a Public Art Project?
Whether you’re an artist developing a new sculpture, an architect incorporating custom stonework into a public space, or a municipality planning a landmark installation, HGH can help with the practical side of working in granite.
From sourcing and stone selection to custom fabrication, engraving and installation, we work closely with project teams to find solutions that respect the original design.
Talk to the HGH team about your project.