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Honouring the Children Reconciliation Wall Unveiling Ceremony
September 30, 2021 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
chet wa wanáxws ta mén̓men
We are honouring the children
Traditional Coast Salish Ceremony to unveil the Reconciliation Wall
2:00 p.m. Thurs, September 30
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church, 1022 Nelson St., Vancouver
The Honouring the Children Reconciliation Wall at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church features a Coast Salish house post carved by renowned Squamish Nation artist, Xwalacktun, and a glass information panel.
This installation is our response to a bronze plaque, which was displayed at the church since 1940 to commemorate the founder of the Coqualeetza Residential School. Xwalacktun’s house post design embeds the bronze plaque into the centre of this powerful twelve-foot house post and, in this way, gives the plaque an important new voice in truth telling about the United Church of Canada’s role in the Indian Residential School system.
The Reconciliation Wall honours the children who were forced to attend the residential schools, and those who carry the weight of the enduring intergenerational impacts. We hope that it creates a welcoming space for our Indigenous neighbours and serves as a site of conscience that stimulates reflection and dialogue, and calls each of us to take action on reconciliation.
At 2:00 p.m. on Thursday September 30, we will unveil the house post and glass panel at a traditional Coast Salish blessing and witnessing ceremony.
Please join us for this important step on our path of reconciliation. The Indigenous-led ceremony will last about 1 to 1.5 hours. Please RSVP to kaisa@
