Stanley Hunt said he's blown away by the public's response and support for his towering monument pole. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

incredible journey

‘Everything I’ve dreamt has come true:’ monument honouring residential school survivors finds new permanent home

Sep 15, 2023 | 5:30 AM

NANAIMO — A powerful, unique monument shedding light on harms inflicted on residential school victims will be unveiled in a prestigious setting.

Kwakiutl master carver Stan Hunt’s nearly 20-foot high pole depicting 130 frowning faces overseen by a raven generated extensive interest during a pair of road trip tours this summer on BC’s south coast and most recently in Regina, Sk.

Hunt, who’s from Fort Rupert near Port Hardy, was informed this week that the Canadian Museum of History officially acquired his monument for permanent display at its venue in the nation’s capital.

“Everything I’ve dreamt has come true,” Hunt said upon arriving on Vancouver Island after sharing his monument in Regina where it remains temporarily.

Hunt began creating the distinct black and orange monument weighing upwards of seven thousand pounds in August 2022 and unveiled the masterpiece this past June.

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It features a raven overseeing scores of unsmiling children.

Hunt previously told NanaimoNewsNOW that the raven, which depicts creators in their culture, was carved as a pledge to find the young victims and bring their spirits home.

The orange elements depict the Every Child Matters theme, while the black demonstrates the dark period of Canada’s residential school history (Indian Residential School Memorial Monument/Facebook)

About 100 people attended a welcoming event for Hunt, the monument and his traveling party at Nanaimo’s VIU campus on June 20 prior to making an appearance in Vancouver for National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21.

Crowds swelled as the monument made its way to numerous communities around the province.

Hunt has been told every school student in Regina will tour the monument, currently being held at the RCMP’s national training depot.

“It’s amazing that the RCMP are so helpful, that the Canadian government has been so open — it’s like everybody was waiting to put this on the table and have it recognized and put it behind us and make Canada a better place to live.”

Notably, the RCMP is one of the entities referenced on the monument to mark how the national police force contributed to the misery Indigenous kids faced at residential schools.

Hunt said it’s been incredibly powerful to see residential school survivors connect with the monument.

He said countless victims have put their hands on the children etched out on the monument to share their experiences, some for the first time.

With more than one million visitors to the Canadian Museum of History annually, Hunt believes his monument will play an important role in healing and creating understanding.

“I believe this story is going to help Canada as a whole to tell you the truth. I think it’s going to give us a focal point and a conversation that needs to be had.”

A freshly completed monument carved over the course of nearly a year on Stanley Hunt’s property on northern Vancouver Island. (Indian Residential School Memorial Monument/Facebook.)

The Canadian Museum of History confirmed Hunt’s monument will be transported to Ottawa this fall and go on display next year.

Hunt is scheduled to travel to the museum in the coming months to discuss the monument’s placement, do some public engagement, and record an oral history interview related to the project.

Caroline Dromaguet, president and CEO of the Canadian Museum of History, hopes the monument will inspire people to engage in thoughtful discussion and reflection around a difficult chapter in Canada’s history.

“This powerful memorial is a tangible reminder of events from our shared past and its acquisition and eventual display as of 2024, allows for new opportunities to spark national conversations related to reconciliation and the residential school system,” Dromaguet wrote in a statement to NanaimoNewsNOW.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes