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Place of reflection created Cambridge Bay residents gather for unveiling of residential school memorial
Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Monday, August 5, 2013
IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
On a rainy day, residents of Cambridge Bay gathered at the edge of the river to unveil a residential school memorial.
Margo Neglak, Steve Anavilok and Angel Kaosoni were among Cambridge Bay residents who attended the unveiling of a residential school memorial on July 24. - photo courtesy of Elizabeth Kaosoni |
A Nunavut flag was removed on July 24 to reveal a large rock with a plaque depicting a family standing on shore, watching a float plane fly away.
The words "for the child taken, for the parent left behind" accompanied the image in Inuinnaqtun and English.
Margo Neglak, Resolution health support worker, came up with the idea for the design from attending Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in Cambridge Bay, Baker Lake, Inuvik and elsewhere.
"A former student or a parent or a grandparent, they all had the same story of float planes coming into outpost camps and taking children away and leaving parents and grandparents standing by the shore," said Neglak.
The children would be sent to residential schools where they were forced to speak English and be away from their families for months.
Neglak showed a stick figure drawing of her idea to multimedia artist and carver Kevin Taylor and he made it a reality.
The site for the memorial was chosen using input from elders, said Taylor.
The area is in view of a float plane base and is also about halfway between the old town site and the new one.
Taylor is working on adding other elements to the spot, including concrete benches, other artwork and a gazebo shaped similar to an iglu.
He also plans to create a sculpture of three hands intertwined.
The grandparent's hand will be holding the parent's arm while the parent's hand is letting go of the child's.
"I want to carve it in a way that it tells a story just by looking at the hands," said Taylor.
Meanwhile, Bobby Klengenberg is creating three Inukshuks out of soapstone to once again represent the child, the parent and the grandparent.
Funding for the project was provided by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.
Taylor said the work will be finished before the snow starts to fall.
"It's going to be beautiful once it's completed," said Neglak.
During the unveiling, the Inuvialuit drummers and dancers performed.
There was also a blessing and the lighting of the qulliq.
A large part of the ceremony was carried out at the community hall due to the rain.
The 50 to 60 visitors who attended were invited to sign the guest book. In it residents expressed their excitement for the day and pleasure about knowing there was going to be such a place for reflection.
Neglak said she hopes residential school survivors will come to realize "forgiveness is the beginning of all healing."
"Hopefully people read that portion and say, 'Yeah, it's time for me to forgive and time to heal and move forward'."
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