Kwakiutl First Nation Master Carver Stan Hunt’s monument for Indigenous children who were abused, murdered, and died during their time in residential schools has now been painted, and he had a little help from some important community partners.
Roughly 15-20 Canadian Coast Guard members showed up to help paint the monument on April 12, along with two members of the Port Hardy RCMP who were also on hand.
The 18-foot tall, four-feet in diameter monument features a giant raven on top of it that has the seed of life in its beak, and there are traditionally carved children’s faces going all the way to the bottom. The monument was painted with only two stark colours, black and orange.
Apprentice Carver Rey Dickie worked on the monument from the start of the project until December 2022, and then Master Carver Mervyn Child joined shortly afterwards.
Michelle Hunt, Stan’s niece and senior advisor for Indigenous relations with the Canadian Coast Guard, said she was thrilled to see so many coast guard members come out to show their support for the project that’s been in the works since September 2022.
“It’s getting to the final stages now,” she said. “I think Stan estimated it will be completed by the end of April, and once it’s finished the coast guard’s part will be helping with transportation down to Victoria and over to Vancouver.”
The monument will be in Victoria June 21 for National Aboriginal Day, and then will be arriving in Vancouver on Sept. 30 for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Michelle added it feels “pretty amazing to be a part of the project from a family point of view, but also as a part of my line of work with the coast guard, being able to make that connection and bring all these people here to help bring awareness to it.”
The financial catalyst for the project, Vancouver-based businessman Ray Bergen, was also there to watch the monument receive its first coat of paint, and he said it was a highly emotional moment for him.
“Stan’s art is ultimately how he expresses himself, and I think he’s an amazing interpreter of societal issues with the way he conceptualizes his art,” he said. “When you hear the horrific stories of the residential schools, it’s mind bending to know that the agencies of our government and our churches killed so many children and tried to destroy their culture.”
The monument doesn’t have a final resting place announced yet, but it will eventually end up in an area that’s available for the public to see it, confirmed Bergen.
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