Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories and the Making of the Witness Blanket

186 Pages·88.704 MB·English

by  Carey Newman, Kristie Hudson

Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories
carey newman, and the Making of the Witness Blanket unfolds a new
or Hayalthkin’geme, is a kind of blanket. Carey Newman, master carver
multidisciplinary artist and e v e ry ob j e c t t e l l s a s tory.
and sculptor turned storyteller, and co-writer
master carver. Through his
Kirstie Hudson have woven together in book form
father he is Kwakwaka’wakw
the creation story behind his monumental art
from the Kukwekum, Giiksam
installation. Breathtaking in scale and complexity,
and WaWalaby’ie clans of Fort
Rupert, and Coast Salish from the blanket itself is a multi-panelled, three-
Cheam of the Stó:lō Nation dimensional travelling art installation. Soul-stirring
along the upper Fraser Valley. in impact, it is an intricate quilting together of
Through his mother he is
material objects, each one telling a piece of Canada’s
English, Irish and Scottish.
residential school story, from coast to coast to coast.
In his artistic practice he
strives to highlight Indigenous, social or environmental
—From the foreword by
issues. Carey was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
dr. marie wilson, commissioner
in 2017 and was named to the Order of British Columbia
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
in 2018. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. For more
information, visit witnessblanket.ca. of Canada, 2009–2015
Carey Newman Kirstie Hudson
and
kirstie hudson
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
is an editor and writer in
Victoria, British Columbia.
She worked for the cbc for
“ Both a crucial record of history and an outstanding
eighteen years at stations in
assertion of love and community.”
Toronto, Vancouver, Prince
—waubgeshig rice, journalist and
Rupert and Victoria. In her
author of Moon of the Crusted Snow
award-winning career as C
a journalist, Kirstie’s work a
r
has been recognized with a e
y
“ Read this book. Share it. Live it. Most of all, honour its
Jack Webster Award, Radio
N
call to better relations, now and in the future.”
Television Digital News Association awards and a Gabriel e
w
Award. Over the years she has covered hundreds of stories, —daniel heath justice (cherokee nation),
m
including the making of the Witness Blanket. As an Canada Research Chair in Indigenous
a
instructor at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads n Literature and Expressive Culture, author of
University, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with an Why Indigenous Literatures Matter
d
students in writing, communications and journalism.
K
i
r
st residential school memories “ In the stories connected to each item, collected from
i
e residential schools in every province and territory, Carey

The fl ip side of this jacket shows $39.95 H has found a profound but gentle, loving way to teach
u and the making of the witness bl anket
the entire Witness Blanket. d readers about our shared history.”
s
o —the honourable judith guichon,
n
former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
cover photos by Jessica Sigurdson
Carey Newman photo by Roth and Ramberg ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Kirstie Hudson photo by Ken Wilkinson
design by teresa bubela
printed in china
Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories
carey newman, and the Making of the Witness Blanket unfolds a new
or Hayalthkin’geme, is a kind of blanket. Carey Newman, master carver
multidisciplinary artist and e v e ry ob j e c t t e l l s a s tory.
and sculptor turned storyteller, and co-writer
master carver. Through his
Kirstie Hudson have woven together in book form
father he is Kwakwaka’wakw
the creation story behind his monumental art
from the Kukwekum, Giiksam
installation. Breathtaking in scale and complexity,
and WaWalaby’ie clans of Fort
Rupert, and Coast Salish from the blanket itself is a multi-panelled, three-
Cheam of the Stó:lō Nation dimensional travelling art installation. Soul-stirring
along the upper Fraser Valley. in impact, it is an intricate quilting together of
Through his mother he is
material objects, each one telling a piece of Canada’s
English, Irish and Scottish.
residential school story, from coast to coast to coast.
In his artistic practice he
strives to highlight Indigenous, social or environmental
—From the foreword by
issues. Carey was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
dr. marie wilson, commissioner
in 2017 and was named to the Order of British Columbia
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
in 2018. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. For more
information, visit witnessblanket.ca. of Canada, 2009–2015
Carey Newman Kirstie Hudson
and
kirstie hudson
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
is an editor and writer in
Victoria, British Columbia.
She worked for the cbc for
“ Both a crucial record of history and an outstanding
eighteen years at stations in
assertion of love and community.”
Toronto, Vancouver, Prince
—waubgeshig rice, journalist and
Rupert and Victoria. In her
author of Moon of the Crusted Snow
award-winning career as C
a journalist, Kirstie’s work a
r
has been recognized with a e
y
“ Read this book. Share it. Live it. Most of all, honour its
Jack Webster Award, Radio
N
call to better relations, now and in the future.”
Television Digital News Association awards and a Gabriel e
w
Award. Over the years she has covered hundreds of stories, —daniel heath justice (cherokee nation),
m
including the making of the Witness Blanket. As an Canada Research Chair in Indigenous
a
instructor at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads n Literature and Expressive Culture, author of
University, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with an Why Indigenous Literatures Matter
d
students in writing, communications and journalism.
K
i
r
st residential school memories “ In the stories connected to each item, collected from
i
e residential schools in every province and territory, Carey

The fl ip side of this jacket shows $39.95 H has found a profound but gentle, loving way to teach
u and the making of the witness bl anket
the entire Witness Blanket. d readers about our shared history.”
s
o —the honourable judith guichon,
n
former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
cover photos by Jessica Sigurdson
Carey Newman photo by Roth and Ramberg ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Kirstie Hudson photo by Ken Wilkinson
design by teresa bubela
printed in china
Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories
carey newman, and the Making of the Witness Blanket unfolds a new
or Hayalthkin’geme, is a kind of blanket. Carey Newman, master carver
multidisciplinary artist and e v e ry ob j e c t t e l l s a s tory.
and sculptor turned storyteller, and co-writer
master carver. Through his
Kirstie Hudson have woven together in book form
father he is Kwakwaka’wakw
the creation story behind his monumental art
from the Kukwekum, Giiksam
installation. Breathtaking in scale and complexity,
and WaWalaby’ie clans of Fort
Rupert, and Coast Salish from the blanket itself is a multi-panelled, three-
Cheam of the Stó:lō Nation dimensional travelling art installation. Soul-stirring
along the upper Fraser Valley. in impact, it is an intricate quilting together of
Through his mother he is
material objects, each one telling a piece of Canada’s
English, Irish and Scottish.
residential school story, from coast to coast to coast.
In his artistic practice he
strives to highlight Indigenous, social or environmental
—From the foreword by
issues. Carey was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
dr. marie wilson, commissioner
in 2017 and was named to the Order of British Columbia
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
in 2018. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. For more
information, visit witnessblanket.ca. of Canada, 2009–2015
Carey Newman Kirstie Hudson
and
kirstie hudson
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
is an editor and writer in
Victoria, British Columbia.
She worked for the cbc for
“ Both a crucial record of history and an outstanding
eighteen years at stations in
assertion of love and community.”
Toronto, Vancouver, Prince
—waubgeshig rice, journalist and
Rupert and Victoria. In her
author of Moon of the Crusted Snow
award-winning career as C
a journalist, Kirstie’s work a
r
has been recognized with a e
y
“ Read this book. Share it. Live it. Most of all, honour its
Jack Webster Award, Radio
N
call to better relations, now and in the future.”
Television Digital News Association awards and a Gabriel e
w
Award. Over the years she has covered hundreds of stories, —daniel heath justice (cherokee nation),
m
including the making of the Witness Blanket. As an Canada Research Chair in Indigenous
a
instructor at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads n Literature and Expressive Culture, author of
University, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with an Why Indigenous Literatures Matter
d
students in writing, communications and journalism.
K
i
r
st residential school memories “ In the stories connected to each item, collected from
i
e residential schools in every province and territory, Carey

The fl ip side of this jacket shows $39.95 H has found a profound but gentle, loving way to teach
u and the making of the witness bl anket
the entire Witness Blanket. d readers about our shared history.”
s
o —the honourable judith guichon,
n
former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
cover photos by Jessica Sigurdson
Carey Newman photo by Roth and Ramberg ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Kirstie Hudson photo by Ken Wilkinson
design by teresa bubela
printed in china
Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories
carey newman, and the Making of the Witness Blanket unfolds a new
or Hayalthkin’geme, is a kind of blanket. Carey Newman, master carver
multidisciplinary artist and e v e ry ob j e c t t e l l s a s tory.
and sculptor turned storyteller, and co-writer
master carver. Through his
Kirstie Hudson have woven together in book form
father he is Kwakwaka’wakw
the creation story behind his monumental art
from the Kukwekum, Giiksam
installation. Breathtaking in scale and complexity,
and WaWalaby’ie clans of Fort
Rupert, and Coast Salish from the blanket itself is a multi-panelled, three-
Cheam of the Stó:lō Nation dimensional travelling art installation. Soul-stirring
along the upper Fraser Valley. in impact, it is an intricate quilting together of
Through his mother he is
material objects, each one telling a piece of Canada’s
English, Irish and Scottish.
residential school story, from coast to coast to coast.
In his artistic practice he
strives to highlight Indigenous, social or environmental
—From the foreword by
issues. Carey was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal
dr. marie wilson, commissioner
in 2017 and was named to the Order of British Columbia
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
in 2018. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. For more
information, visit witnessblanket.ca. of Canada, 2009–2015
Carey Newman Kirstie Hudson
and
kirstie hudson
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
is an editor and writer in
Victoria, British Columbia.
She worked for the cbc for
“ Both a crucial record of history and an outstanding
eighteen years at stations in
assertion of love and community.”
Toronto, Vancouver, Prince
—waubgeshig rice, journalist and
Rupert and Victoria. In her
author of Moon of the Crusted Snow
award-winning career as C
a journalist, Kirstie’s work a
r
has been recognized with a e
y
“ Read this book. Share it. Live it. Most of all, honour its
Jack Webster Award, Radio
N
call to better relations, now and in the future.”
Television Digital News Association awards and a Gabriel e
w
Award. Over the years she has covered hundreds of stories, —daniel heath justice (cherokee nation),
m
including the making of the Witness Blanket. As an Canada Research Chair in Indigenous
a
instructor at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads n Literature and Expressive Culture, author of
University, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with an Why Indigenous Literatures Matter
d
students in writing, communications and journalism.
K
i
r
st residential school memories “ In the stories connected to each item, collected from
i
e residential schools in every province and territory, Carey

The fl ip side of this jacket shows $39.95 H has found a profound but gentle, loving way to teach
u and the making of the witness bl anket
the entire Witness Blanket. d readers about our shared history.”
s
o —the honourable judith guichon,
n
former Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
cover photos by Jessica Sigurdson
Carey Newman photo by Roth and Ramberg ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Kirstie Hudson photo by Ken Wilkinson
design by teresa bubela
printed in china

Residential s chool MeMo Ries
and the Making of the Witness Bl anket
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson
Text copyright © 2019 Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: Picking up the pieces: residential school memories and the making of the Witness Blanket /
Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson.
Names: Newman, Carey, 1975– author. | Hudson, Kirstie, 1976– author.
Description: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 2019007731x | Canadiana (ebook) 20190077352 | To my father, Victor, for his strength; my wife, Elaine, for her support;
isbn 9781459819955 (hardcover) | isbn 9781459819979 (pdf) | isbn 9781459819962 (epub)
and my daughter, Adelyn, for her hope
Subjects: lcsh: Indian blankets—Canada. | lcsh: Adult child abuse victims—Canada. | lcsh: Adult child abuse victims—
—CN
Mental health—Canada. | lcsh: Art therapy—Canada. | lcsh: Native art—Canada. | Native peoples—Canada—
Residential schools. | Native peoples—Mental health—Canada
Classification: lcc e96.2.n49 2019 | ddc 371.829/97071—dc23 To Elliot and Hazel
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019934047 —KH
Simultaneously published in Canada and the United States in 2019
Summary: This nonfiction book, illustrated with photographs, tells the story of the making
of the Witness Blanket, a work by Indigenous artist Carey Newman that includes items from
every residential school in Canada and stories from the Survivors who donated them.
Orca Book Publishers is committed to reducing the consumption of nonrenewable resources in the making of our books.
We make every effort to use materials that support a sustainable future.
Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by
the following agencies: the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Province
of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
The author and publisher have made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct
at the time of publication. The author and publisher do not assume any liability for any loss, damage or disruption
caused by errors or omissions. Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission
for the use of copyrighted material. The publisher apologizes for any errors or omissions and would be grateful
if notified of any corrections that should be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.
Edited by Sarah N. Harvey
Design by Teresa Bubela
Cover photos by Jessica Sigurdson, Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Carey Newman photo by Roth and Ramberg
Kirstie Hudson photo by Ken Wilkinson
orca book publishers
orcabook.com
Printed and bound in China.
22 21 20 19 • 4 3 2 1

To my father, Victor, for his strength; my wife, Elaine, for her support;
and my daughter, Adelyn, for her hope
—CN
To Elliot and Hazel
—KH
CONTENTS 
Foreword / vi
Introduction / 1
Chapter One: Picking Up the Pieces / 11
Chapter twO: Silent Witness / 19
Chapter three: The First Day of School / 27
Chapter FOur: Never Enough / 37
Chapter Five: Stitch by Stitch / 47
Chapter Six: Never Forget / 59
Chapter Seven: Moments of Humanity / 71
Chapter eight: Out of the Ashes / 83
Chapter nine: The Permanent Record / 91
Chapter ten: Plastic Dolls / 103
Chapter eleven: Reclaiming the Space / 111
Chapter twelve: Behind Closed Doors / 121
Chapter thirteen: Identity / 133
Chapter FOurteen: Walking Among Memories / 141
COnCluSiOn: The Truth about Reconciliation / 149
Glossary / 158
References / 160
Reading List / 161
Map of Witness Blanket Artifacts / 162
List of Residential Schools in Canada / 164
Map of Residential Schools / 165
Index / 166
Acknowledgments / 168
Photo Credits / 170