Witness Blanket plays important role in reconciliation

“The door is very significant. I walked out the door of my house, my own culture and language and stepped into the unknown,” said Elder Clarence Wolfleg, Sr., of a central symbolic aspect of the Witness Blanket art installation.

Wolfleg is one of 150,000 children separated from their families and sent to boarding schools across the country from 1870-1996, many of which were run by religious orders. Of these children, there are 4,100 confirmed deaths directly related to the schools.

The monumental art installation, created by West Coast Master Carver Carey Newman, who witnessed the effects of residential school upon his own father, contains over 800 artifacts from every province. Artifacts come from residential schools, institutions and survivors from 77 communities.

The evocative design is a replica of a traditional woven blanket, representative of protection in Aboriginal culture. The Witness Blanket is made up of bits of wall plaster and brick, photographs, hockey skates, religious icons, report cards, scribblers, baby moccasins, and numerous other items. It reconstructs the story of an era many Aboriginal people have attempted to erase from memory. Reassembled in cedar-framed boxes, the objects piece together fragments of their history and experience.

Photo Caption: The Witness Blanket is on display at the Calgary Public Library downtown until May 16. It may be viewed online at witnessblanket.ca.