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Monument recognizing residential school system's impact leaves Regina for permanent location in Quebec

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A monument honouring a child who endured the Indian residential school system (IRSS) has now left Regina for Quebec.

It was created by master carver Stan Hunt on Vancouver Island. Painted orange and black, it represents the children of the IRSS and signifies a dark time in Canadian history.

“It has been incredibly humbling and overwhelming to have the monument here,” Regina resident Tracey Dunnigan said.

“It has brought our community together. It has been a piece of history that starts our healing.”

The monument is a traditional cedar carving that stands 18-feet-tall and weighs nearly 7,000 pounds.

On June 15, it left where it was created, making various stops. It reached Regina and was displayed on the front lawn of the RCMP Depot since Sept. 9.

During its stay, roughly 4,000 people came to see the monument.

Visitors included: IRSS survivors, 60’s scoop survivors, Indigenous elders, as well as a number of people who work in law enforcement. Schools from in and around the Regina area also viewed the monument.

“I hope that our intent is not to stop here. That this is just one piece of a reconciliation project,” RCMP Staff Sargent Brian Kelly said.

The monument will now travel to the Canadian Museum of History in Quebec, where it will be permanently kept.

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