The Witness Blanket to be displayed by The Exploration Place at UNBC, in partnership with UNBC and Lheidli T’enneh

The Witness Blanket is a powerful art installation created by master carver Carey Newman. It is a monument that recognizes the atrocities of the Indian Residential School era, honours the children, and symbolizes ongoing reconciliation. This cedar-framed artwork, inspired by a woven blanket, includes hundreds of objects recovered from 77 communities across Canada where residential schools were located.

This reproduction of the original was slated to be on display upon The Exploration Place’s Grand Reopening on June 18th on the unceded ancestral territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. When the reopening had to be delayed until the fall, the Museum reviewed every option, deciding to find an alternative home for the installation.

The exhibition will be available for public viewing beginning June 18 in the Atrium of the Teaching and Learning Building at UNBC. The official opening is set for June 22 from 1:00-2:00 pm with media interviews and tours available with representatives from The Exploration Place, UNBC, and Councillor Seymour on behalf of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation.