For my aesthetic representation I created a poster with quotes from residential school survivors. The quotes I added were ones that really stuck out to me while I was doing my research. While researching a quote that stuck out to me was that of Karen Chaboyer: “”When I came out of residential school I was prejudice against myself”(Chaboyer, 2011). It is heartbreaking that these innocent children were taught to be prejudice towards their own people. I wanted to incorporate this quote because it shows what the real purpose of residential schools were and the attempted  brainwashing and the abusive antics used by staff to achieve this goal. This culture was shattered for over 100 years because of the residential school system and is still trying to pick up the pieces today. I am not the most artistic person so I created a poster that I can look at to be reminded of what happened, reminded of my privilege as a white student, and remember to continue to learn and help bring peace to those affected.  Take a look by clicking here

When I look back on my education of the residential school system in Canada I feel let down. I was not taught what I needed to in order to get a full understanding of what happened. With the lack of education on it at school I feel as though it is my responsibility to listen, learn, and unlearn to be able to get a full in-depth understanding of the horrible attempt at trying to kill a culture that was residential schools. Through the content of the course, the variety of videos and websites I visited I was able to start my journey and although I knew the basics my eyes are opened wider than they have ever been before. My journey of learning about the residential school system has not been easy, but it has helped me to understand the kind of teacher and person I want to be. Researching and hearing stories helps me understand that I need to be an agent of change, in and out of the classroom. The disgusting events that happened to children need not to be forgotten. We need to continue learning, listening, and advocating for the children who survived, the children who did not, the children whose lives have been drastically altered forever, and the generations after who still struggle with the effects today. This paper’s purpose was to guide you on my journey to reconciliation but also  needs to show that this is only the beginning for many of us. These children will never be forgotten and their stories will always be heard. A quote I would like to end on is this “silenced voices are now speaking”(Legacy of Hope Foundation)  and we will never stop listening to them.