This blog post will deal with uncomfortable material and I hope not to offend anyone. In Canada, we’re in the middle of dealing with the discovery of a great number of unmarked graves of children on sites of former Indian residential schools. These schools operated between the 1870s and 1996, and about 150,000 children between the ages of 4-16 attended these schools. They were mandatory boarding schools for Indigenous peoples, funded by the Canadian government and administered by Christian churches. The children were taken away from their families and communities and forced to give up their language and culture and assimilate into the dominant settler culture.
All sorts of abuse and neglect were rampant in those institutions. A lot of children got sick with Tuberculosis, and many of them died. The heart-braking stories that started to emerge after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission started to work in 2008 to uncover the truth about these schools are a matter of national shame.
These are historical events, but they cast long shadows for the families of residential school survivors. The legacy is visible as the survivors struggle with PTSD, substance abuse, suicidal tendencies and mental illness. And this hurt is often propagated across generations. The impact on Canadian society is profound, and a lot of people are sad and ashamed because of the way these children were treated. Some municipalities have decided to cancel any festivities to celebrate our national holiday on July 1st. Instead it is recommended to make this a day of reflection and learning about these matters.
All I can think of right now are the faces of these children, often seen in old black and white photos, shown in classrooms or dormitories, sometimes praying, sometimes looking solemn and subdued. These are the faces I will feature in my quilt, as good as I can.
This is a work in progress photo, lots of work still to be done!
Regina, the hurt and angst of families as this loss is moving through our Canada is debilitating as we think of the precious children – the loss of their futures. I am looking forward to your work as it brings them to the world, and helps share their story.
Thank you Bethany, it is an important topic to talk about right now, and I hope I will do it justice.
Good on you. As an Australian of European heritage, I struggle with the same dismay that the First Nations peoples of my country are still at great disadvantage compared with those of us who are non-indigenous. Our First Nations people are now standing up and telling us, loud and clear, that our ‘history’ has been deliberately falsified for two hundred years to gloss over theft, murder and cruelty, writ large.
Marina, thanks for your comment. I have also lived in Australia for 2 years, and what happened there seems to be comparable for sure. It’s time that white settlers acknowledge their history and start to right the wrongs done.
I can’t wait to see how you portray this topic.
Thank you Deb, it’s certainly an ambitious undertaking.