Let this window serve as a reminder of the consequences

Christi Belcourt continued to deliver her message even after her stained glass creation entitled “Giniigaaniimenaaning,” which means “Looking Ahead,” was dedicated in a special ceremony on Parliament Hill on Nov. 26.

“I wish I could speak to the hearts of MPs … and let them know that renewal and reconciliation can be found between Aboriginal peoples and the rest of Canada through the sustained wellness of generations of Aboriginal people to come,” said Belcourt.

She said the government’s obligation did not end with an apology to Indian residential school survivors or the symbolic gesture of a window.

Andrew Scheer, Speaker of the House, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2008 apology, while powerful, would not make amends for all the wrongs of the past, but “it does serve to begin the process of healing, the process of reconciliation and allows us to move on other paths together.”

That path, said Belcourt, needs government attention.

“While this window is extremely positive, the question remains what is being done for the people?” she asked.

Belcourt called on the federal government to provide support for northern communities; to embrace resource revenue sharing as a means for economic well-being and self-sufficiency of Aboriginal communities; to lead an inquiry into the high numbers of murdered and missing Aboriginal women; to follow an “aggressive and sustained revitalization program” for the languages and culture that were lost through residential schools; and equity in funding for Aboriginal children.

The window design, the work of the Belcourt (Métis), was unanimously chosen by a committee of Indian residential school survivors and Aboriginal art experts. The window was unveiled on June 11. It is located in the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings.

“The primary purpose of the window is to honour the First Nations, Métis and Inuit children who attended Indian residential schools as well as their families and their communities who were impacted by the schools’ legacy,” said Minister John Duncan of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. “Through the official dedication of this window we honour your experiences and ensure they are never forgotten.”

Belcourt said her work was inspired by the story of a residential school survivor, which she recounted to Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and invited guests.

“She said ‘tell our side of the story’. She would have been within her full rights to say make it about genocide, but she didn’t. She said make it about hope,” Belcourt said.

While it was a Metis artist whose work was chosen to commemorate residential school survivors, Métis were neither included in the Prime Minister’s apology nor in the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. Métis could only claim Common Experience Payments or receive compensation under the Independent Assessment Program if they attended an Indian residential school.

Belcourt called on the government to treat Métis residential school survivors and day school survivors “justly and fairly.” Both groups have been excluded from the residential school settlement agreement.

However, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was created through the IRSSA. has invited all survivors, residential or day school, to tell their stories.

Chief Wilton Littlechild, who serves on the TRC, said, “(The window) will serve to remind us that the residential school story is a Canadian story.”

It is a Canadian story that politicians would do well to remember, said Métis Elder Reta Gordon.

“May the spirit of this window serve as a constant reminder to lawmakers of Canada that there is real consequences of their actions to the people they are elected to serve,” she said.

Caption: John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, participates in a dedication ceremony for the stained-glass window commemorating the legacy of former Indian Residential School students and their families.

Photo: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada