Apology letter from Canadian government for Stuart
Bear claws
Rocky Mountains
Stuart at home at his kitchen table,2023
Stuart's Regalia at his home, 2023
Stuart, Kamloopa Powwow, 2022
Opening of the Kamloopa Powwow, 2022
Arena, Kamloopa Powwow, 2022
Jingle Dress, Kamloopa Powwow, 2022
Kamloopa Powwow, 2022
Kamloopa Powwow, 2022
Regalia Closet in Stuart's house, 2023
Stuart's tattooed arms, 2023
Altar in front of Stuart's Sweat Lodge, 2023
Stuart's Sweat Lodge - A sweat lodge is a sacred place which is supposed to give you the feeling of a womb, 2023
Stuart in his Sweat Lodge, 2023
Lava Stones in Stuart's Sweat Lodge, 2023
2022 / 2023
I respectfully acknowledge that all photos of this series were taken on the traditional territory of the Lower Nicola Indian Band (Merritt, B.C.) and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (Kamloops, B.C.).
STUART RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL SURVIVOR
Stuart Patrick Junior was born in 1971 in the Nuu-chah-nulth territory in Tofino, Vancouver Island. He is a potlatch dancer, hand drummer, and makes his own beadwork for his regalia. He lives with the Lower Nicola Valley First Nations Band in Merritt, British Columbia. Stuart is one of approximately 150,000 so-called “Residential School Survivors.”
Residential schools caused significant harm to Indigenous children by removing them from their families and cultures. Cases of physical and sexual abuse are documented. During their stay many students were forced to assimilate to Euro-Canadian culture, losing their Indigenous identities and struggling to fit into both their own communities as well as Canadian society. Often times the native language got lost. This disruption has contributed to ongoing issues like post-traumatic stress and substance abuse in Indigenous communities. Stuart carries a scar on the back of his head after being hit in Residential school. Until today there are still investigations going on to try to find lost relatives. Often times there is no documentation about the children at all.
The photos, alongside the Interview with Stuart, were published in 360° Nordamerika Magazine „Indigenes Kanada“, Ausgabe 3/2023.
