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Behind the Design: Shared Experiences Woven Together in Truth

  • Sep 29, 2022
  • History
  • 5 minute read

The Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake honours the more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children who were taken from their families and forced to attend Residential Day and Boarding Schools across Canada. It acknowledges the intergenerational impacts of the Residential Day and Boarding School era, and it invites reflection on how people in Canada can meet the challenge of reconciliation in our everyday lives.

The design of this Keepsake was a cooperative effort led by three talented Indigenous artists representing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities who worked together with Survivors to create an appropriate and thoughtful design marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Learn more about the details of the Keepsake design below.

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Artists Leticia Spence (First Nations), Jason Sikoak (Inuit) and JD Hawk (Métis).

The Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake honours the more than 150,000 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children who were taken from their families and forced to attend Residential Day and Boarding Schools across Canada. It acknowledges the intergenerational impacts of the Residential Day and Boarding School era, and it invites reflection on how people in Canada can meet the challenge of reconciliation in our everyday lives.

The design of this Keepsake was a cooperative effort led by three talented Indigenous artists representing First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities who worked together with Survivors to create an appropriate and thoughtful design marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Learn more about the details of the Keepsake design below.

The Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake: This side of the Keepsake displays a collection of visual elements that forms an expression of Indigenous cultures and perspectives, as designed by artists Leticia Spence (First Nations), Jason Sikoak (Inuit) and JD Hawk (Métis).
The Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake: First Nations rights, culture, and teachings are represented in this design by Leticia Spence, a Cree Artist.
The Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake: JD Hawk, a Métis Artist, designed the elements of the Keepsake that represent the Métis Nation.
The Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake: Designed by Jason Sikoak, a Nunatsiavut Artist, the Inuit perspective is represented by traditional tattoo line work that was taken away by colonialists and is now coming back as a sign of identity and pride, while the northern lights symbolize Inuit Nunangat and reflect the beauty of the North, as well as the North’s unique natural attributes.
The Truth and Reconciliation Keepsake: On the other side of the Keepsake, the assertion “EVERY CHILD MATTERS” appears in English and French.