Youngsters at the nonprofit Chokecherry Studios painted a few zebra crossings on Broadway Avenue orange on Thursday afternoon in Saskatoon.
The inspiration for the project came from a Scoop survivor of the 1960s, Rob Denham, who came up in June with the idea of commemorating indigenous children who have never returned from boarding schools.
“You don’t tell a survivor when their healing is complete. There is a lot of work and process going into it and with events like this you show these community members that the support is there and that we are listening. Hopefully we will have more events in the future, ”said Allison Forsberg, a youth at Chokecherry.
“I think in Canada we often see people saying, ‘Oh, why is it all about boarding schools, it’s been so long?’
“But it’s not. It’s my parents, my grandparents, and the intergenerational trauma is still passed down and we have to work to make Canada better for its future generations.”
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People use Canada Day for reconciliation in Saskatoon Park
The project was realized in partnership with the Broadway Business Improvement District (BID).
“Broadway BID is committed to truth and reconciliation,” said DeeAnn Mercier, executive director of Broadway BID, in a statement.
“While this may be a small act of remembrance, we hope that people in the neighborhood will take time to pause and reflect on indigenous history, the impact of boarding schools, and to honor the survivors and all of the children who lost to their families and communities went.”
The project is called kiskisiwin, which means “memory” or “memory” in Cree.
Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to assist boarding school survivors and their loved ones who have suffered trauma from past abuse recalls. The number is 1-866-925-4419.
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