Leading up to the TRC, I had heard a lot about the reasoning behind the events. Growing up in Vancouver, I was aware of what the Aboriginal residential schools were, However, I was unaware of what actually occurred. I knew that Aboriginal children were forcefully removed from their homes and families and brought to a school where their culture, language, and traditions were taken from them. We talked about the Truth and Reconciliation Committee in most of my classes, and were encouraged to take part in the various events. I chose to go to the Belkin Art Gallery to see WITNESS: Art and Canada’s Indian Residential Schools.
What I saw, words cannot describe. The raw emotion portrayed in the various art pieces was incredibly moving. I was not prepared for the darkness behind the art, to be so visible. As I wandered the gallery I became more aware of the devastating events that occurred at the Residential Schools. Abuse; cultural, psychological, physical, and sexual was an everyday occurrence for the young students. There was an artist that particularly drew my attention Gina Laing. Gina Laing had four sets of four paintings along one of the walls. There was an explanation of the artwork beside each set that detailed the pain that the artist suffered at the Alberni Residential School. She spoke of the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of a man that the supervisor had encouraged. She never intended for her drawings to be seen by the public, she completed them in rehabilitation to help with her healing process. Laing’s pictures were drawn to portray how she had experienced the sexual abuse incidents as a child. After seeing these sixteen pictures I decided to research the Alberni Indian Residential School.
I searched the residential school on Google and found numerous articles about the abuse that occurred at the school. One article, http://www.ammsa.com/node/11611 spoke about Arthur Plint, who was a supervisor at the Alberni Residential School from 1947-1968. Plint sexually and physically assaulted boys and girls during his time at the school. He bribed the young boys with candy, making them perform oral sex on him. Plint was ordered to serve eleven years for his crimes. Plint was convicted on 36 counts of indecent assault and three counts of assault causing bodily harm. These crimes were inflicted upon children as young as six years old. Arthur Plint was up for parole but was denied due to his lack of remorse over his actions. He refused to attend any sort of treatment for sexual offenders. He also continues to deny the abuse he inflicted on the children. Many of his survivors spoke out about the abuse, stating that it led them to be suicidal, abuse alcohol and drugs, and even be abusive to their own loved ones. Another Alberni Indian Residential School student, Pearl Stelmacker, spoke about Arthur Plint in an article for the Prince George Free Press http://www.bishopaccountability.org/news2007/01_02/2007_01_17_Williams_SurvivorRemembers.htm. Stelmacker said that when Plint’s wife wasn’t around he would take the young girls and rape them.
The firsthand account from the survivors through their art was very moving and unforgettable. It is courageous and commendable for them to speak so openly about the trauma they endured. After seeing the Art at the Belkin gallery, my opinion about our nation has been altered. This truly raises the question about whether or not Canada is really a Global Citizen.