News release details
A jingle dress created to share stories of intergenerational healing and hope for the future will be the focus of an event this Friday at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
The dress, called Awasisuk, was created by Thompson‐based Amanda Grieves and is on display in the Museum’s Community Corridor until August of 2023.
A dressmaker and community helper, Grieves was inspired to sew the dress by the Every Child Matters movement. In the wake of news about the discovery of unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools, she wanted to create a work that spoke to the power of healing, and the importance of creating a better world for our children.
This Friday evening, Grieves will lead a panel alongside her father, Alan Dennis Grieves, and Winnipeg‐based community organizer Michael Redhead Champagne. The event, "Behind the Dress: A call to keep fighting for our kids," will explore the stories sewn into the dress and the lived experiences that led to its creation.
Media can preview the installation and interview Grieves tomorrow between 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. Please call ahead to ensure availability.
Admission to the Museum is free after 5 p.m. on Friday and no tickets are required for the event. It will include a Q&A with audience members and light refreshments. Media are invited to attend.
WHAT: "Behind the Dress: A call to keep fighting for our kids"
WHEN: Media preview of dress and interviews with Amanda Grieves, Thursday, March 23, between 12:00 noon and 2:00 p.m. Media are asked to please call ahead.
Public event on Friday, March 24 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Manitoba Teachers’ Society Classrooms, CMHR, 85 Israel Asper Way
Biographies
Amanda Grieves is a Thompson‐based dressmaker and mother of six. She was born and raised on Bunibonibee Cree Nation to parents Alan Dennis Grieves and her late mother Roberta Grieves. She has worked in mental health, addictions and trauma‐informed care. She is a facilitator for the Circles for Reconciliation, while also teaching ribbon skirt workshops. She inherited her gifts as a helper from her family members, and uses her ability to advocate, teach and create to help others.
Alan Dennis Grieves is the son of Rev. Vernon Grieves and Adelaide Koah. Born and raised in Bunibonibee Cree Nation, also known as Oxford House, Alan is a residential school survivor having attended the Oxford House Day School until eighth grade and the Portage Residential School throughout high school. Afterwards Alan went on to receive a diploma in business administration. During his time at day school Alan experienced physical abuse. He continued to experience physical and sexual abuse while attending the Portage Residential School.
Due to the colonial policies of the church and government Alan was forbidden from practicing and experiencing his traditional culture throughout his youth. Despite this, Alan is continuing to regain traditional knowledge as taught by his grandparents.
Michael Redhead Champagne inspires every time he speaks to an audience or brings his pen to the page. An Ininew public speaker, writer, community advocate and on‐screen personality, his storytelling connects communities across North America and around the world. Michael’s commitment to action and solutions comes from his experiences growing up in Winnipeg’s North End, his identity as a member of Shamattawa First Nation and his connection to the child welfare system. He aims to walk his talk, revolutionize harmful systems and ensure those with lived experience design, deliver and evaluate any initiative that affects them.