July 17, 2014

Winnipeg, MB,
To Whom it May Concern:
In February 2014, a call for paper bricks was made by Alberta Artist and Educator
Dawn Marie Marchand to create a simulated Indian Residential School (IRS) House.
Several individuals, including IRS students were interested in creating bricks,
community members in Winnipeg coordinated an event where Health Support Workers
were in attendance as these bricks were made in good faith with health safety in mind.
The installation was set up during the final Truth and Reconciliation Commission
(TRC) National event in Edmonton Alberta, March 2014 where it was well received
with thousands of people attending. The feedback was incredibly positive and had
great publicity, as it was then moved to CBC Radio at Edmonton Place after the TRC
event. Another request to have it viewed again, was at the International Works Festival
where it was a feature exhibit alongside Ken Armstrongs powerful photography on
Homelessness in Edmonton. It was the most visited exhibit with over 1,200 people
daily. There was a great deal of education and reconciliation that occurred with this
predominantly mainstream non-native event.
The results of the Residential Schools will require much effort and resources to restore
the original people of this land to wholeness and good relations with the rest of society.
We are grassroots community members who do not promote any specific politics,
denomination nor any organized group as all people are equal. Our goal is to help
bring greater awareness, healing and reconciliation to generational IRS issues that
have rippled for decades.
Our funding request is looking to secure in the short term $7,000 - $6,000 to bring this
healing art installation to Winnipeg, Manitoba. In addition we are also seeking general
assistance and direction for approaching other foundations to partner with so we may
continue this healing work and take it to other communities throughout Turtle Island.
We look forward to the results of this request and hope you can assist us in whatever
capacity your organization can provide. Any volunteers wishing to help with installation
or during the week are requested to contact us as soon as possible.
In Peace and the Pursuit of Balance,
Dawn Marie Marchand
Artist & Educator
587.783.9723
Koona Cochrane
Indigenous Community Facilitator
1.866.320.2763

Opportunity to bring the installation to Winnipeg:
The installation is available to go anywhere that the people would like to see it and are
willing to help make it happen. These are some things needed in order to make it happen.

Requirements:
1. An indoor venue that can house a 10 ft x 10 ft x 8.9 ft gazebo (Location secured:
Indigenous Family Centre 470 Selkirk Avenue)
2. An outdoor venue where we can leave your stones
3. Stones (Planning with community groups to collect them TBD)
4. Volunteers: for set up and dismantle of the installation; to stay with the installation
and assist visitors
5. Mileage or Transportation Mileage preferred as the installation requires great
care to transport
6. Accommodations and Meals
7. Dawn Marie would need at least one day on site before the opening to make
repairs and prepare it for viewing

Sponsorship Sought:
Travel (Bonnyville, Alta to Winnipeg return 2,600 km @ $0.45) $ 1,200
Accommodations (11 nights @ $120) $ 1,320
Meals (11 days breakfast $8, lunch $15, dinner $20) $ 473
Volunteer Training & Honouraria (7 volunteers @ $100) $ 700
Advertising and Printing $ 500
Artist Fee (11 days @ $200) $ 2,200
Incidentals $ 250
Sub-Total $ 6,643

In-Kind Sponsorships received to date:
Rental space $200 @ 12 days $ 2,400
Event Planning & Coordination $150 @ 8 weeks $ 1,200
Sub-Total $3,600
Grand Total $10,243

Cheques can be made to:
Indian Family Centre memo notice for IRS Stories
Charitable receipts will be made for donations received

Mailing Address
Indigenous Family Centre
(new name not reflected in banking cheques must say Indian Family Centre)
470 Selkirk Avenue
Winnipeg, MB
R2W 2M5




The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made its 7
th
and final stop in
Edmonton on March 27 30, 2014. We invited any survivors, family of
survivors or people affected by Indian Residential Schools in Alberta to
contribute to this Wall. We asked for 3 x 9 inch drawings, paintings or any
creative expression of their experience to be included on a collaged
component of an Installation that was displayed at Edmonton City Hall from
March 26 April 2, 1014.
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A Place to Hang Your Stories




itah kkohtyek kitcimwina


itah kkohtyek kitcimwina: A Place to Hang Your Stories
In fall 2013, Artist Dawn Marie Marchand was approached by a community
member who knew that the final Truth and Reconciliation Commission event was
going to Edmonton March 2014. Knowing the power of Walking With Our Sisters
Exhibit which provided immense awareness to the issue of Murdered and Missing
Indigenous women, it also gave people a voice to be heard and often much needed
healing. She wondered if such a project could happen for Residential School
Survivors and their intergenerational descendants who are still affected even if
they did not attend themselves. This project was born from that original
conversation.
A public announcement for paper bricks was made, that would be visual
representations of stories from Indian Residential School or how it affected them
or their descendants. Art builds were held around Alberta which included
Edmonton, Calgary, St. Paul and others. Many more bricks were mailed from
across Canada. Notably Winnipeg held art builds where over 56 participants
contributed bricks to the art installation. These were collaged onto the canvas
walls of a gazebo to create a one room school house. Each brick represented a
story that for some were the first steps towards healing. The bricks were treated
in a way that honours each story and participant. They were all smudged and
wrapped in prints while they were being compiled. When they were being
installed they were smudged again and not allowed to touch the floor.
At the viewing, people were asked to hold a stone in their left hand and leave it
with use when they left. These stones will be laid into the walking paths of the
Healing Garden at Blue Quills First Nation College. It is a symbolic representation
of placing the hurts under our feet.
The installation was well received with 1000s of people attending. The feedback
was incredibly positive and received good publicity as it was then moved to CBC
Radio at Edmonton Place after the TRC event. It was then requested to be viewed
again in Edmonton at the International Works Festival where it was one of the
feature exhibits in the Big Tent with Ken Armstrongs powerful photography on
Homelessness in Edmonton. It was the most visited exhibit with over 1,200 people
daily. There was a great deal of reconciliation that occurred with this
predominantly mainstream non-native event.
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Recommendations:
The inner walls have ribbons from which new bricks can be added. If the
community would like to contribute new bricks they could have art builds before
or during the exhibit. This would be up to the community to decide. It would be a
good addition and these stay in the community, possibly as an ongoing display
opposed to storage as the community decides. It is also a good idea to have people
available to help explain the intergenerational effects of IRS and give supports to
those affected should this installation trigger emotions for them. If you are
interested in learning more on this installation please contact:
Artist Dawn Marie:
dawn.marie.marchand@hotmail.ca
587.783.9723

Find us on Facebook: A Place to Hang your Stories a Group page
A Place to Hang Your Stories comes to Winnipeg

Internet Resources:
Hampshire, G. Building a sense of Residential School; Brick by Brick:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/building-a-sense-of-residential-school-experiences-brick-
by-brick-1.2590683
Parrish, J. Truth and Reconciliation Commission set to begin:
http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/truth-and-reconciliation-commission-event-set-to-begin-
1.1747828
Jones, S. Truth and Reconciliation: http://globalnews.ca/video/1233433/truth-reconciliation
Hampshire, G. Circle of Courage: http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/#!/content/1.2588414
Narine, S. Art Part of the Healing Process of Residential Schools:
http://ca.ammsa.com/publications/alberta-sweetgrass/art-part-healing-process-residential-
schools
Edmonton Arts Council. Outline:
http://www.edmontonarts.ca/static_media/pdfs/files/eac_misc/placetohang.pdf
Commanda, K. Legacy of Living Together art Project Approaches Healing for Indigenous
Artists.
http://thegatewayonline.ca/article/view/the_legacy_of_living_together_art_project_approah
c_healing_and_memory_for_i
Vue Weekly, Arts. The Legacy of Living Together Inserts Arts into Truth and Reconciliation:
http://www.vueweekly.com/the-legacy-of-living-together-inserts-the-arts-into-truth-and-
reconciliation/
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