From Nov. 5 to 9, the University of Manitoba Inner City Social Work Campus (William Norrie Centre) will be hosting a mobile exhibit entitled 100 Years of Loss – The Residential School System in Canada.
This exhibit is part two of a three-part mobile exhibit created by the Legacy of Hope Foundation, a charitable organization that aims to increase awareness and understanding of residential schools and the impact that this system has had on Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
Part two of the exhibit—We Were So Far Away – the Inuit Experience of Residential Schools—is currently on display at the Bannatyne campus, and part three—Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools—will be unveiled in February, 2013, at the Fort Garry campus.
100 Years of Loss: The Residential School System in Canada is made up of eight pods—each with a different theme—and offers information about the history and effects of residential schools in Canada in both English and French languages.
“Hosting exhibitions on residential schools builds upon the University’s Statement of Apology and Reconciliation to Residential School Survivors,” said Deborah Young, executive lead for Indigenous Achievement at the University of Manitoba.
“While our university recognizes that we cannot undo the shameful past, we can assist in building more awareness on the history and the impact that residential schools had [on] generations of individuals, families, and communities.”
The residential school system was created by the government of Canada, as well as several different church denominations, as a way to assimilate First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples into mainstream, dominant society. Over 150,000 children were forced away from their families and into these schools and the effects continue to resonate throughout survivors and their families.
The exhibit will open on Nov. 5 with Ted Fontaine sharing his experiences as a survivor of the residential school system. Fontaine is also the author of Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools, a memoir recounting his time within residential schools and how it has impacted his life.
100 Years of Loss: The Residential School System in Canada is a free exhibit, and people of all ages are encouraged to attend.
“The exhibit is open to the public [ . . . ] and there is no cost to view it,” stated Young. “We are encouraging local schools, community members, and organizations to come in and see the exhibit.”
100 Years of Loss will be open for viewing between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Nov. 5 to 9 at the University of Manitoba Inner City Social Work Campus. For appointment viewing outside of regular hours please contact Maureen at (204) 790-7201.
