Monument honours and educates

On the side of the Indian Residential School monument facing West are ten plaques which educate and honour Anishinabek children families and communities.
The first plaque is a dedication to those who attended the Residential Schools.  An “Honouring, Healing and Education” plaque speaks to the legacy of the monument and that the Anishinabek Nation “respects that the truth and history of each survivor of Indian residential school is theirs and only theirs to tell.”
There is a list of former schools, citing which religious denomination was affiliated.
The fourth plaque on the top row describes the Canadian government’s goal of assimilation.  The fifth describes a history of the schools.
The lower plaques focus on moving foward, recognizing what occured, Our Path Ahead, our Seven Sacred Gifts ,and a list of Anishinabek Nation communities.
“We respect and honour the past, present and future” reads the last plaque.
The opposite side of the memorial wall facing East will have ten additional plaques that will list the names of Anishinabek Nation students who attended residential schools.
The Union of Ontario Indians legal department is still accepting consent forms and will continue to do so until the plaques are full.
Please call 1-877-702-5200 for consent forms.
The grounds surrounding the monument will be landscaped.   The landscaper has a vision to cover the grounds in mulch (the grounds will not support healthy grass growth because of the rock and clay), create a pebble walk way leading to the wall, and to add in various annual flowers to bring in some colour.
In the future, benches for seating and lighting to illuminate the monument at night will be added.
All funding for this project was provided by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.