"I wanted the Witness Blanket to include
one thing from every residential school in
Canada. At the end of our travels, though,
after collecting pieces for the project from
coast to coast, we were still missing items
from several schools.
There were any number of reasons why we
couldn't track down any objects from or
memories of those schools. In some cases,
the actual school buildings didn't exist
anymore - or were never permanent
structures in the first place. In other cases,
despite our efforts we were unable to connect
with Survivors who attended them."
In 2020, Orca Books published Picking Up the Pieces, written by Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson for the general public to tell the story of the making of the Witness Blanket. It was conceived by Carey in response to a Request for Proposals by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He wanted to create a living work of art that included hundreds of pieces collected from residential schools across Canada. Every piece had its own story to tell.
In this new book, he and Kirstie Hudson bring the story of the Witness Blanket to a younger audience - middle grade students. Our children need to know this story, and to realize that the heartbreaking news they are hearing about bodies found on the grounds of many of these schools happened because of the decision made to take the children from their families and house them in residential schools far from their homes. Many did not return.
This history should never be forgotten. Readers learn early that Carey's father is a residential school Survivor, who carries with him stories he would rather not tell of his time there. By keeping the trauma he felt from his family, he hoped to protect them. Carey, an artist, wanted to create something that would honor all those affected by shared trauma.
"I wanted to make something to represent the experience
of Survivors. Canada is a big country, and more than
150,00 Indigenous children went to residential school. I
needed to make something that wasn't just large as in
tall or wide but was a concept big enough to carry
thousands of stories."
Create it he did, with help from many. A blanket has great significance in various cultures, and it seemed a perfect way to honor community, to symbolize family, to offer gratitude and protection. The pages of this book are filled with the story of how the Witness Blanket evolved and to tell that today, after three years of touring Canada, it is now located at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg. Information boxes offer quotes from Survivors, important historical facts, and captioned archival photos. It collects and shares the truths about what happened for far too many indigenous children and their families.
It is but one step toward Truth and Reconciliation, and it is an important book to share with middle years students. It was created to inform and to encourage conversations about difficult topics. If you want to know more, here is an excellent video to share with your children and students about the creation of the Witness Blanket.
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