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BRIEFS
Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools
NATIONAL EXHIBIT SHOWCASED AT ROBSON HALL
By Margaret Anne Fehr
It was a most singular action by a
Canadian university wherein David
Barnard, University of Manitoba
President and Vice-Chancellor,
offered a statement of apology and
reconciliation on the subject of the
Indian Residential School System
during the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission of Canada Atlantic
National Event in Halifax on
October 27, 2011.
“While post-secondary institutions
did not fund or operate Indian
Residential Schools,” said Barnard,
“the University of Manitoba failed
to recognize and challenge the
Indian Residential School system
and damaging assimilation policies
that were at the core of the system.”
Four months later, the common
room on the main floor of Robson
Hall was the venue for the travelling
exhibit, Where are The Children?
Healing the Legacy of Residential
Schools. The event launch was
hosted by Deborah Young,
Executive Lead for Indigenous
Achievement, and included exhibit
curator Jeff Thomas, President
David Barnard, former National
Chief of the Assembly of First
Nations Phil Fontaine, University of
Manitoba Faculty of Law alumnus
and residential school survivor Ken
Young, also an alumni, as well as a
number of other residential school
survivors who shared their own
personal stories, and staff from
Migizii Agamik (Bald Eagle Lodge).
schools and the grievous
consequences to generations of
Aboriginal children who grew up
with shattered self-esteem and
alienation from their culture.
According to curator Jeff Thomas,
the exhibit is intended to “start a
conversation and inform Aboriginal
youth about the experiences of
their parents and grandparents.”
Phil Fontaine, who counts himself
as a residential school survivor,
said, “It presents our people the
way we were, and reminds us
how difficult a healing journey is
and that we will never again be
treated this way.”
Lorna Turnbull, Dean of Law, was
one of the speakers at the launch
of the exhibit. She recalls the
emotionally charged atmosphere
that marked the proceedings. “It’s
rare that I’ve attended an event
where almost all of speakers,
including myself, had a hard time
controlling their voices because of
being overwhelmed by emotions.
It was very moving.”
“I think it sent a pretty clear signal
to all of us that you give life to
the President’s apology by the
actions that you take. It’s not
enough to just say something.”
Dean Turnbull added, “I think the
exhibit opened eyes for many
people. I had a conversation with
one of our students, an Indigenous
woman who’s completed second
year, and she said that it made her
believe that the law school was a
place where she could now see a
future for her people. She no longer
viewed the law school as a place
that was closed and unwelcoming,
but rather one that had helped her
to have more hope.”
Besides being open to the
university population, the exhibit
was also available for viewing
by a number of public schools
throughout Winnipeg. The exhibit
can be viewed online at,
www.wherearethechildren.ca.
Where are the Children? presented
photographs from public and
church archival collections
from 1880 to the 1960s. These
photographs tell the story of
Canada’s legacy of residential
National Exhibit ‘Where are The Children? Healing the Legacy of Residential Schools,’
Dean Turnbull leads discussion with law students.