Experience a powerful art installation honouring Survivors of the Indian residential school system

GATINEAU, QC, Feb. 6, 2025 /CNW/ - Starting Saturday, February 8, 2025, the Canadian Museum of History will host The Witness Blanket, a thought-provoking travelling exhibition from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Through this compelling art installation, visitors are invited to bear witness to the stories of Survivors, reflect on the legacy of the Indian residential school system, and consider their own role in reconciliation.

The exhibition features a full-scale photographic replica of the original Witness Blanket, a powerful art installation by Indigenous master carver Carey Newman, which honours the resilience of residential school Survivors. Inspired by a woven blanket, the artwork incorporates hundreds of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, cultural sites, and communities across Canada. Each item tells an individual story, woven together to form a collective narrative of loss, strength, reconciliation, and pride.

"The Witness Blanket is a powerful call to action," said Caroline Dromaguet, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Museum of History. "This exhibition reflects the Canadian Museum of History's commitment to amplifying Indigenous voices, fostering a deeper understanding of the intergenerational impacts of the Indian residential school system, and advancing reconciliation."

The exhibition includes touchscreen kiosks with Survivor testimonies, interpretive panels, a response activity, and a quiet space for reflection, featuring an augmented-reality artwork. Visitors can also view the documentary Picking Up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket at CINÉ+, at scheduled times, offering deeper insight into the creation of the art installation. The Museum of History has adapted the exhibition to support all visitors in engaging with these sometimes difficult but important stories.

To mark the opening of the exhibition, the Canadian Museum of History will host a talk on the theme of "Healing Through Art" on February 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Grand Hall. The event will feature artist Carey Newman (Ha̱yałka̱ng̱a̱me') in conversation with his daughter, Adelyn Newman Ting (Kesugilakw), an author and youth advocate. Together, they will explore the transformative power of art to heal and inspire. Carey will share his insights on his socially engaged artistic practice and the creation of the Witness Blanket.

Educators are also invited to combine a visit to the exhibition with the Survivor Truths: Residential Schools, Art, and Reconciliation half-day school program, available from February 10 to May 1, 2025. This program offers a self-guided exploration of the exhibition, hands-on activities, and a screening of the documentary Picking Up the Pieces: The Making of the Witness Blanket at CINÉ+.

The Witness Blanket opens on February 8 and runs until May 5, 2025.

To learn more about the Museum of History's activities and exhibitions on site and online, please visit historymuseum.ca or contact us at 819-776-7000, 1-800-555-5621, or 819-776-7003 for TTY for people with hearing disabilities.

Located on the shores of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec, the Canadian Museum of History attracts over 1.2 million visitors each year. The Museum's principal role is to enhance Canadians' knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the events, experiences, people and objects that have shaped Canada's history and identity, as well as to enhance Canadians' awareness of world history and culture. Work of the Canadian Museum of History is made possible in part through the financial support of the Government of Canada.

SOURCE Canadian Museum of History

Media contacts: Stéphanie Verner, Senior Media Relations and Communications Officer, Canadian Museum of History, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]; Yasmine Mingay, Senior Director, Public Affairs, Development and Outreach, Canadian Museum of History, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]