Students, staff and community members will visit the Witness Blanket exhibit to learn about the impact of residential schools, hear stories from survivors and understand how to continue forward in reconciliation.
Sherwood Park, AB. — Today, Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) held a special opening ceremony to mark its co-ordination of the Witness Blanket exhibit from May 23 to June 26. Created by master carver Carey Newman, the Witness Blanket is a profound and powerful exhibit from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Two reproductions of the original art installation have been created, and EIPS has the honour of sharing one of these with students and the public.
Students from EIPS and Elk Island Catholic Schools will have the opportunity to visit the exhibit to learn more about the impact of residential schools and how to continue forward in reconciliation. “As the granddaughter of a residential school survivor, bringing the powerful Witness Blanket exhibit to our communities has been an emotional journey,” says Nicole Polukoshko, a First Nations, Métis and Inuit Education consultant at EIPS. “Truth and Reconciliation means acknowledging the deep pain of our past and recognizing its continued impact on families today. Our team hopes this important piece of art inspires learning, reflection and a shared commitment to bearing witness to this tragic legacy.”
The Witness Blanket is a large-scale work of art inspired by a woven blanket. It contains hundreds of items, reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings and traditional and cultural structures from across Canada. The team who contributed to the Witness Blanket collected more than 880 objects from every province and territory in Canada. They travelled over 200,000 kilometres, visited 77 communities and met more than 10,000 people.
In the wood-framed reproductions of the Witness Blanket, direct-printed wood panels take the place of the original artifacts and interior frames. “The City of Fort Saskatchewan and the Fort Heritage Precinct is honoured to host the Witness Blanket exhibition,” says Taylor Berry-Boparai, a supervisor at the Fort Heritage Precinct. “Sharing the truths of the residential school system is essential, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to support learning, reflection and reconciliation for both students and our broader community.”
The exhibit will be open to the public:
Date: Saturdays in June—June 7, 14 and 21
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Fort Heritage Precinct—Courthouse
10006 100 Ave., Fort Saskatchewan
For those unable to visit or who’d like to prepare for their trip to the exhibit, a virtual experience is available on the Witness Blanket website.
Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,950 students in 42 schools. We are proud to be an integral part of our communities, including Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties, and the western portion of the County of Minburn.
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For more information, media can contact:
Laura McNabb, Director, Communication Services, EIPS 780-417-8204 cell 780-405-4902