Ausstellung "The Red Dress"
There are 1.8 million Indigenous people in Canada, accounting for five percent of the total population. They speak more than seventy languages and represent many different cultures.
On Wednesday the 29th of November 2023 the 5D travelled to Innsbruck with Prof. Widmann and their KV Prof. Tschurtschenthaler-Vey to visit the exhibition “The Red Dress” at the university of Innsbruck.
The trip informed the pupils about the cruel and traumatic history of the Indigenous people in Canada, especially about the politics and goals of the so-called residential schools, which tried to assimilate Indigenous children into Canadian society by removing and isolating them from their homes, families, lands, and cultures.
Heather, an Inuk and artist from Canada, talked to us about this dark chapter of Canadian history. While teaching the students the art of beading a bookmark, Heather created an atmosphere of respect, communication, interest and openness for the First Nations and their issues in the past and the present.
Some voices may provide a little insight into the pupils´ experiences:
“I think it´s good that more people get to know about this topic. Personally, I have never heard anything about Residential Schools before.”
“I was blown away by the crimes against the humanity of the Indigenous populations in Canada. It was important for us to get to know about this situation first hand by a real native named Heather. In English she gave us some insight into the past and we even crafted our own bookmarks in Inuit style.”
“I had never been told the history of Canada before, so I found it very interesting. The dress built as a tipi was so nice and getting to lay inside really comfy. The beading was awesome, even though I had to restart a few times.”
“Inside the tent I read a book about an Inuk woman who befriended a polar bear. It was really nice and heartwarming. Heather was really friendly and helped us a lot. Last but not least, I also think that the trip increased our team spirit.”
