On September 9, 2023, the Saskatchewan RCMP helped unveil the Indian Residential School Memorial Monument in front of the RCMP Headquarters building in Regina, Saskatchewan. This 18-foot-tall Monument was created by Kwakiutl master carver, Stanley Hunt, in memory of the thousands of Indigenous children who suffered in Residential Schools. Stanley Hunt initiated this memorial carving in response to the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
The Monument encompassed the following elements:
- Children's Faces
There are 130 individually carved faces, painted in black, representing the children who lost their lives in Residential Schools. Each face is unique, displaying varying degrees of grief.
- Raven
In Kwakiutl culture, the Raven is known as the creator but also a tricky entity who likes to cause trouble for humans. The orange bead in the beak of the Raven symbolizes the seed of life. From the top of the pole, the Raven watches over the children and from this perspective, sees the history of Residential Schools – offering the hope of 'righting' wrongs committed.
- Cross, Maple Leaf, RCMP, and NWMP
The cross, maple leaf, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) symbolize the institutions that played a role in the Residential School system. Although it is inverted to observers on the ground, the Raven sees these symbols right side up. The Raven's view symbolizes the hope of setting things right again through Truth and Reconciliation.
- Black and Orange
Black represents the dark history of the Residential School system in Canada, while orange represents the Every Child Matters Movement.
Master carver, Stanley Hunt, shares, "I think as long as we go along on this journey, we're finding that all our hearts beat the same and when our hearts beat the same, we're all powerful and strong again."
The Saskatchewan RCMP was honoured to be given the opportunity to host the Monument leading up to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The trauma of residential schools is long-lasting and impacts many generations.
"Beyond being an absolutely beautiful carving – it represents the history of residential schools and has many different elements incorporated into it. It is really impactful when you hear Stanley Hunt talk about what each piece represents and how every face was carved differently," the Commanding Officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, Rhonda Blackmore shared, "We are very fortunate to have it here on RCMP grounds. This represents the work that continues to be done and is ongoing when it comes to reconciliation. The acknowledgment of the dark past is key in building trusting relationships and moving forward with our indigenous communities."
The Monument made the journey from Port Hardy, British Columbia to Regina, Saskatchewan – and began it's final journey to its destination at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec on October 10, 2023.