From Dean Stephen Augustine’s telling of the Mi’Kmaq Creation story, to Ken Paul’s teaching of the Medicine Wheel, to Professor Tuma Young taking us on a Medicine walk, the Indigenous Perspectives of Health and Healing course has been the most eye-opening, emotional and thought provoking class I have taken. It has given me the opportunity to listen to another story. A way of looking at everyday things, events in a whole new light.
Just when I thought I had a bit of understanding of the 1st Nations People, I went to see the Witness Blanket.
Located at the Cape Breton University Art Gallery, artist Carey Newman has created what can truly be called a masterpiece.
Upon entering the gallery, your eyes are immediately drawn to the huge wooden panels in the room. At first glance you are blown away by the beauty of the panels. Shelves, shadow boxes, brightly colored tiles, Christian religious artifacts, and old skates. The list goes on. As you walk closer to the panels, your mind begins to process what it is you are seeing, just what all of the panels contain.
It is called the Witness Blanket for a reason. The entire piece is made of physical remnants of the residential schools. It would take this blogger hours to describe and comment on the hundreds of pieces of history embossed in each panel.
Certain items stay with you. A black and white photo of a young 1st Nations boy, maybe 5 or 6 years old. He is dressed in full regalia, braided hair. He is beautiful. The picture besides that one is of the same boy after entering residential school. His hair is cut very short; his clothes are that of a school uniform, his face sullen. It breaks my heart. Not far away, in a small glass case are two perfect braids, cut from the head of some small child.
Although I have read the reasoning of residential schools on paper, in soul I cannot understand how anyone, any government could think stealing little children from their families, abusing them in all ways of horrific manor could be okay.
Sometimes the Witness Blanket is hard to look at. At the very bottom of panel, a small hand written note caught my eye. It was difficult to make out, but, it was a letter to some sort of government department, asking why the community’s children were sent away to school. Why the children could not go to the school on the reserve. Demanding the children back, and to look into the allegations of abuse. It was dated 1944.The last residential school closed in 1996.
The Witness Blanket is not about blame, it is about healing, new beginnings, reconciliation and hope.
It is said that art is supposed to make you think. The Witness Blanket makes the hair on your arms stand up, turns your stomach, breaks your heart and yet somehow gives the feeling of optimism for the future.
Carey Newman has combined history with grace, beauty with horror and tragedy with hope. Every Canadian should see The Witness Blanket.
Two-Eyed Seeing for Health 