Current Installation
Awasisuk
Awasisuk will be open to the public starting February 28, 2023, in the Community Corridor at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
Project statement from Amanda Grieves,
Creator of Awasisuk
Awasisuk is about intergenerational healing and the process of moving forward to create not only a better future for ourselves but for our children as well.
Part of the inspiration for this piece is the “Every Child Matters” movement. When the news of discovering unmarked graves began to circulate, I saw a good deal of unhealed hurt and intergenerational trauma surface in many people in my community. This movement brought the truth to people across the world and with it an acknowledgement of the intergenerational trauma that residential schools and colonization have caused and continues to cause.
Through residential schools, children, including my parents, learned to suppress their emotions in order to keep themselves safe. This lesson was then passed on to me and my siblings. Whenever something difficult happened, we were told to keep our feelings to ourselves and stay strong for those around us, ultimately continuing this cycle of emotional suppression. Suppressing one’s feelings and lived experiences ultimately stops one from healing because if you can’t acknowledge what has happened to you, you can’t truly heal.
It was our Creator’s grace that carried me through my healing process, the same grace that carried my ancestors through. As part of my healing process, I continued to connect with my culture through dressmaking. This creative process helped me acknowledge the many beautiful parts of my culture. I hope to pass this beauty along to my children.
Awasisuk represents the healing journey and its importance, not only for ourselves but for the future generations as well. We can’t continue to hold onto the hurt of the past and our mistakes; we have to forgive ourselves and reach out for help when we need it. It is important to continue on this journey by being kind to yourself and releasing in a healthy way rather than becoming stuck dwelling on the grief and sorrow. By healing ourselves, we can move forward with good intentions for our children.
Awasisuk is sharing not only the difficult history of Indigenous people, but the resilience of our people and beauty of our culture as well.
Past Installations
Métis Memories of Residential Schools: A Testament to the Strength of the Métis
From July 2022‐ January 2023 Métis Memories of Residential Schools A Testament to the Strength of the Métis was displayed in the Community Corridor. This project shares 24 impactful stories about this neglected chapter in Canadian history. It honours the unique experiences and impacts of Métis survivors and families in colonial schooling systems and showcases how to share authentic Métis community voices in an ethical and collaborative way. Métis Memories invites the viewer to engage in a deeper understanding of the injustices brought to all First Peoples in Canada.
New Beginnings
From December 2021 to July 2022, New Beginnings was displayed in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Organized by U SHINE Movement, the exhibit shared the experiences and dreams of immigrant and refugee youth through photographs. It was the result of a photography project called “Youth Lens” that took place from September 2020 to June 2021 with 72 young refugees and immigrants in Ottawa.
A Thousand Paper Cranes
In 2021, the Japanese Cultural Association of Manitoba encouraged their members to fold paper cranes to show support for the children who died while attending Indian residential schools across Canada. By September 2021, they had received more than 6,500 colourful origami birds which they used to create five senbazuru (mobiles of 1,000 cranes) one of which was put on display at the Museum.
National Story Blanket
In 2018, the National Story Blanket was displayed in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. This blanket represents the visions of Indigenous and non‐Indigenous youth for reconciliation and decolonization in their communities. In order to create this blanket, youth across Canada took part in the Youth Reconciliation Initiative leadership program with Canadian Roots Exchange, an organization that aims to build relationships of respect and cultural exchange between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous youth. Together, participants organized dialogue events aiming to meaningfully connect youth across Canada.
