Establish a highly visible monument in the City of St. John’s to honour the survivors of residential schools and those who never made it home to their families.

City of St. John’s & First Voice: Exploring plans for a monument

The Joint Coordinating Committee on Indigenous Rights between First Voice and the City of St. John’s have begun work on this. The City of St. John’s has committed to providing space and maintenance for the monument.

First Light: Plans to establish a residential school memorial garden

First Light is in the process of renovating their headquarters, the plans for which include a Residential Schools Memorial Garden. This project is a collaborative effort between First Light, a steering committee of Residential Schools Survivors, Mills and Wright Landscape Architecture, and Woodford Architecture. The space is designed to honour the experiences of Survivors, allowing visitors to “walk in their shoes” and learn about the profound impact of residential schools. However, the garden is not solely a place of reflection; it also celebrates the Survivors’ strength, courage, and resilience in reclaiming their cultural heritage. The garden will be filled with native plants, and at its heart will stand a structure supported by seven pillars, each representing a residential school in Newfoundland and Labrador. The central fire bowl, filled with Labradorite, will serve as a symbol of cultural resilience and connection to the ancestral lands of Labrador.

City of St. John’s & First Light: Knowledge shared during Indigenize Downtown Community Feast

Attendees gave recommendations for the monument, which included decolonizing the name of the place where the monument is established, the importance of visibility and accessibility, and the need to incorporate Indigenous elements such as plants, art, ceremony spaces and storytelling. Attendees also recommended that the audience be carefully considered, as a monument of healing for Survivors would be very different from a monument to educate non-Indigenous people. (See Call for Change 13 for more information on the event.)