Cali Martin – For the Children Student Concept

My creative challenge was to research, design and present an infographic about Canada’s residential school history, or an aspect of.

“Information graphics can reveal the hidden, explain the complex and illuminate the obscure. Constructing a visual representation of information is not a mere translation of what can be read to what can be seen. It entails filtering the information, establishing relationships, discerning patterns and representing them in a manner that enables a consumer of that information to construct meaningful connections.” –Excerpt from project brief

For the Children is my proposed concept for an exhibit in collaboration with the Indian Residential School Survivors Society and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (The Squamish Nation) – in support of the programs they have in place today for survivors and those impacted by intergenerational trauma. These organizations’ goals are for unity and teamwork in the community towards a common good. This is the value I wish to uphold through educating the public with my proposed exhibit. The exhibit is targeted to educate early-late adults on Indigenous culture, the residential/day school system, impacts today, and what moving forward looks like in reconciliation in Canada.

For the Children has a focus on elements of humanity and nature, incorporating deep layers of information about the children within these institutions and the survivors. According to the Truth and Reconciliation Report, 2,800 children enrolled in Residential Schools never returned home. Murray Sinclair says the number of children could be thousands more – as many as 25,000. Moved by this, I designed wood panels (reminiscent of height markings on a wall) that capture the sense of growing up and the children’s lives that were cut short. Empty spaces on the wall serve as a visual metaphor for the children who passed but haven’t been uncovered or identified.

With the gifted word from elders within Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw, I encourage the audience to reflect on the values of Yúusnew̓as – taking care of one another, taking care of everything around us. This exhibit is intended to encourage empathy for the children who did not make it and for survivors today to ensure we listen, lift each other up, and make sure this never happens again.

The following pieces are custom mockups crafted by hand in Photoshop to share my vision for the exhibit experience.