QUÉBEC CITY, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The Musée de la civilisation stood in full solidarity with Indigenous communities in the wake of the disturbing discoveries at former residential schools. Deeply affected, the Musée has taken several concrete steps in the spirit of reparation, to demonstrate the importance of denouncing such injustices and educating society about the realities and history of Indigenous communities.
As a sign of our solidarity, reception staff wore an orange ribbon. The Musée's informational screens displayed information explaining to visitors the colour's symbolism and our gestures of solidarity. Orange lighting was added to elements related to the residential schools in the This is Our History exhibition, which already presented the dark and contentious nature of these institutions. In keeping with this choice, our guided tour was also updated. Finally, the Musée tower will be lit up orange until Orange Sweater Day on September 30.
To mark this important day, and in its function as a space for dialogue, education and memory, the Musée will host a roundtable discussion on residential schools and reconciliation on September 30. Presented live on the web and moderated by Bernard Hervieux, an Innu journalist and producer at Tshinanu Inc., this roundtable will bring together people from First Nations communities and from universities to discuss Canadian and Quebec colonialism. Residential school survivors and their children will be invited to share their stories and express their perspectives of past and present colonialism and reconciliation.
September 30th 2021 - 19h 00 : https://webdiffusion.mcq.org/episode/table-ronde-pensionnats-autochtones
Guests:
- Jimmy Papatie, Director of Natural Resources, Anicinabe community of Kitcisakik, residential school survivor
- Thérèse Niquay, Director of Community Services and Projects, Atikamekw community of Manawan, residential school survivor
- Maïtée Labrecque-Saganash, activist and newspaper columnist, Eeyou (Cree) community of Waswanipi
- Marie-Pierre Bousquet, professor of anthropology and director of the Indigenous studies program at the Université de Montréal
"Time passes, but it does not erase the horror and pain of these terrible events. For the Musée de la civilisation, with its global outlook and mission to preserve collective memory, it is essential to maintain a space for dialogue. In doing so, we can continue to educate ourselves and, above all, to commemorate the events that have marked—and continue to mark—the lives of so many Indigenous people. It is our duty to show solidarity, to accept that we still have much to learn, and to fully recognize the importance of Indigenous communities in our history, both yesterday and today. "
-Stéphan La Roche, President and CEO, Musée de la civilisation
Additional information about the This is Our Story exhibition
In creating its This is Our Story exhibition, the Musée de la civilisation and La Boîte Rouge vif, an organization dedicated to showcasing Indigenous cultures, met with First Nations and Inuit representatives. Often hundreds of kilometers apart, 18 communities and 800 people participated in this process. The goal of the exhibition is to put Indigenous perspectives centre stage, and its content is regularly updated to convey Indigenous realities as accurately as possible.
SOURCE Musée de la civilisation
Press relations: Anne-Sophie Desmeules: 418-643-2158, ext. 208; email: [email protected], Agnès Dufour: 418-643-2158, ext. 433; email: [email protected]
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