itah kkohtyek kitcimwina

A Place to Hang Your Stories

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The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made its 7th and final stop in Edmonton on March 27 30, 2014. We invited any survivors, family of survivors or people affected by Indian Residential Schools in Alberta to contribute to this Wall. We asked for 3 x 9 inch drawings, paintings or any creative expression of their experience to be included on a collaged component of an Installation that was displayed at Edmonton City Hall from March 26 April 2, 1014.

For More Information Please email: dawn.marie.marchand@hotmail.ca


itah kkohtyek kitcimwina: A Place to Hang Your Stories

In Fall 2013, I was approached by a community member who knew that the upcoming Truth and Reconciliation Commission was coming to Edmonton at the end of March. She had witnessed the power of the Walking With Our Sisters Exhibit to bring community awareness to an issue, give people a voice who havent always been heard and in some cases bring healing. She wondered if such a project could happen for Residential School Survivors and their intergenerational descendants who are still affected even if they did not attend themselves. This project came out of this talk. I made a public announcement for paper bricks. These would be visual representations of their stories of Indian Residential School or how it affected them or their descendants. I held a series of art builds around Alberta which included Edmonton, Calgary, St. Paul and area. These were collaged onto the canvas walls of a gazebo to create a one room school house. I recognized that each brick represented a story and that these stories were the first steps towards healing for some. I chose to treat the bricks in a way that honours each of them. They were all smudged and wrapped in prints while they were being compiled. When they were being installed they were smudged again and not allowed to touch the floor. At the viewing, people were asked to hold a stone in their left hand and leave it with use when they left. These stones will be laid into the walking paths of the Healing Garden at Blue Quills First Nation College. It is a symbolic representation of placing the hurts under our feet. The installation was well received with 1000s of people attending. The feed back was good with good publicity. The installation will next be viewed in Edmonton at the International Works Festival where it will become one of the feature exhibits in the Big Tent with Ken Armstrongs powerful photography on Homelessness in Edmonton.

Opportunity to bring the installation to your city:

The installation is available to go anywhere that the people would like to see it and are willing to help me make it happen. These are some things that I will need in order to make it happen.

Requirements:
1 2 3. 4. An indoor venue that can house a 10 ft x 10 ft x 8.9 ft gazebo An outdoor venue where we can leave your stones Stones Volunteers: some for the setting up the installation Some for watching the installation Some for dismantling the installation 5. 6. 7. Mileage or Transportation Accommodations and Meals I would need at least one day on site before the opening to make repairs and prepare it for viewing.

Recommendations:
I do not need to be at the installation for long exhibits. If it is longer than 5 days then I could come to install and dismantle and work with the volunteers so that they are prepared for what could happen. Then I would only need to be there 3 days and 2 nights for installation and 2 days and one night for dismantling. The inner walls have ribbons from which new bricks can be added. If the community would like to contribute new bricks they could have art builds before or during the exhibit. This would be up to the community to decide. It would be a good addition and these stay in the community, possibly in a wooden box or other vessel the community decides. I would leave it up to the community to coordinate whether they want ceremony and to hold it according to their own protocols. The community would also decide how to do the opening events and closing events. It would be up to the community to raise the monies to bring this exhibit. I will work with the community but cannot assume the full responsibility because I do not live there.

If you are interested in bringing this installation to your community please contact me at: dawn.marie.marchand@hotmail.ca

Some links: Hampshire, G. Building a sense of Residential School; Brick by Brick: http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/building-a-sense-of-residential-school-experiences-brick-by-brick1.2590683 Parrish, J. Truth and Reconciliation Commission set to begin: http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/truth-andreconciliation-commission-event-set-to-begin-1.1747828 Jones, S. Truth and Reconciliation: http://globalnews.ca/video/1233433/truth-reconciliation Hampshire, G. Circle of Courage: http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2588414 Narine, S. Art Part of the Healing Process of Residential Schools: http://ca.ammsa.com/publications/alberta-sweetgrass/art-part-healing-process-residential-schools Edmonton Arts Council. Outline: http://www.edmontonarts.ca/static_media/pdfs/files/eac_misc/placetohang.pdf Commanda, K. Legacy of Living Together art Project Approaches Healing for Indigenous Artists. http://thegatewayonline.ca/article/view/the_legacy_of_living_together_art_project_approahc_healing _and_memory_for_i Vue Weekly, Arts. The Legacy of Living Together Inserts Arts into Truth and Reconciliation: http://www.vueweekly.com/the-legacy-of-living-together-inserts-the-arts-into-truth-and-reconciliation/