Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories and the Making of the Witness Blanket

"Will educate and enlighten Canadians for generations to come. It's a must-read for anyone seeking to understand Canada's residential-school saga. Most importantly, it's a touchstone of community for those survivors and their families still on the path to healing."--Waubgeshig Rice, journalist and author of Moon of the Crusted Snow

Picking Up the Pieces tells the story of the making of the Witness Blanket, a living work of art conceived and created by Indigenous artist Carey Newman. It includes hundreds of items collected from residential schools across Canada, everything from bricks, photos and letters to hockey skates, dolls and braids. Every object tells a story.

Carey takes the reader on a journey from the initial idea behind the Witness Blanket to the challenges in making it work to its completion. The story is told through the objects and the Survivors who donated them to the project. At every step in this important journey for children and adults alike, Carey is a guide, sharing his process and motivation behind the art. It's a personal project. Carey's father is a residential school Survivor. Like the Blanket itself, Picking Up the Pieces calls on readers of all ages to bear witness to the residential school experience, a tragic piece of Canada's legacy.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 09/10/2019
ISBN: 9781459819955
Pages: 180
Weight: 3.00lbs
Size: 10.20h x 11.10w x 0.90d

Review Citations: Library Journal 08/01/2019 pg. 111
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2019 - Book Of Special Distinction