Building a sense of residential school experiences, brick by brick

Cree-Metisartist Dawn MarieMarchandhopes her work can give some insight into the inter-generational suffering caused by Indian Residential Schools.

Her unique art project usesover 500 paper bricks torepresent the cheap materials the schools were built with.

The exhibit on display atEdmontons city hall during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission national event, March 27 to 30.

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I would call it a first step towards healing,Marchandsays of theA Place to Hang your Stories project.

Instead of it being something thats being anxiety driven,you could start to deal with it, moving forward you can start to take empowerment over it.

Marchand was given the idea last fall when an Indian residential school survivor suggested an art project for survivors and their family membersto be unveiled at the final TRC event.

It was inspired by the Walking With Our Sisters project, which brings togetherover1700 pairs of moccasin tops, made by people from all over North America to memorializethe unfinished lives of missing and murdered aboriginal women.

For months, Marchand used social media, reaching out to survivors and those affected, asking them to create art with their stories on 13"x 9 paper bricks using various mediums, such as paint, crayons, beads or charcoal.

Communities stepped up with their own workshops:finished bricks were mailed to Marchand andaddedto the art installation. Before setting up in Edmonton, Marchand made sure to smudge each piece.

At the exhibit, people can walk around the 10-by-10 foot tent exterior to view the bricks. Stepping inside, there is a tiny, wooden school desk that shows how young the children were when they first entered residential school.Marchand has also left room for visitors to leave their masterpieces.

I have a lot of hope that this will be something that is needed, said Marchand.

There will be people who will look at this and say I didn't know this, but now I know this, so I'm going to move forward.