Update: The Transformation Through Forgiveness monument was destroyed in the Montecito Mudslide on January 9th, 2018.
Italian Marble
8 Ton.
Dimensions: 12 Feet Tall.
The Monument to Forgiveness uniquely honors the essential contribution of all indigenous peoples. And now, as our contemporary world is woven of many cultural expressions, we are being called to embrace all expressions as part of a greater whole.
Our purpose, as we review our collective history, is to bring it into that greater wholeness; to acknowledge, to heal and to reconcile, where possible, the inhumanities of our past. We do this so that we can look with clarity and deeper humanity to our future, as we evolve toward our fullest potential as co-inhabitants of Mother Earth.
The creation of the monument began while sculptor Francis Jansen, a Dutch-born immigrant, was visiting a stone quarry in Carrera, Italy. She found herself strongly drawn to a large elongated block of marble. While gazing at the stone, it virtually opened to reveal the image of a Native American man lying with his face on the ground. As Francis began the sculpting process of releasing the vision, a being she lovingly refers to as Eagle Man, emerged from the marble.
This arduous and euphoric birthing process took exactly nine months. During this time Francis became increasingly aware of the greater significance and potential of her work. From out of her enormous sense of gratitude for this now-embodied vision, grew the inspiration for the non-profit project called Transformation Through Forgiveness. She realized that the monument was, and is, a symbol and anchor for a far-reaching global movement of forgiveness and reconciliation.
This monument stood across the street from the Santa Barbara Mission, near the ruins of the Mission grist mill and the Rose Gardens from May 1993 till April 1995.
While there, the monument became a popular local attraction, with flowers, eagle feathers, Native American Sun-dance ribbons, forgiveness-letters, fruit and many other gratitude objects, left daily around the base in acknowledge of the purpose and meaning for reconciliation and forgiveness that the “Forgiveness” monument held for the populace.
Many ceremonies were held at the “Forgiveness” monument, including weddings, drum and prayer circles, and many other events and gatherings.
The Traveling Bronze Forgiveness Monument, a 14-foot tall replica of the Transformation Through Forgiveness monument with a large Turtle for its base was created and is touring our nation petitioning Forgiveness for our for-fathers, and then all of our fathers. It stood for several years at “The End of the Trail of Tears” in Talaquah, Oklahoma.
It has also been installed at the Southern Oregon University at Ashland, Wallowa Lake, Nez Perce country, and at “The Beginning of the Trail of Tears” in Cherokee North Carolina.
The traveling bronze forgiveness has reached its final destination and is now permanently placed at Northeastern State University in Tahlequa Oklahoma, honoring as a memorial monument at End of the Trail of Tears.