A reproduction of the Witness Blanket, an art installation recognizing the Residential School era, is now on display at the Nanaimo Harbourfront branch of Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL).
Created by master carver Carey Newman, the Witness Blanket is composed of a series of cedar panels. Each panel contains dozens of individual pieces, arranged in mosaic-style. Each individual piece represents one of the hundreds of objects recovered from 77 communities across Canada where residential schools were located.
The Library says the Witness Blanket honours the children of the residential school era and symbolizes ongoing reconciliation.
“We are honoured to have this important piece on display in our branch,” says Anthony Martin, Manager of the Nanaimo Harbourfront library. “The importance of this piece, especially in light of the recent and ongoing discoveries at former residential schools, cannot be overstated. I encourage everyone who is able to visit the branch to experience this visceral, evocative, and thoughtful representation of a dark and deeply traumatizing legacy in this country.”
The original Witness Blanket is currently undergoing conservation at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg, after touring Canada for three years. The installation at the Harbourfront branch is a reproduction of the original, developed in partnership by Newman and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) to allow additional venues to share its stories and messages.
The Witness Blanket will remain on display at the branch until September 30.
