Seemingly disconnected remnants of clothing, crumbling buildings, and fragmented cultures are woven together into a blanket, designed to shine light on the Indian Residential School system that connects them, and stand as a monument to the resiliency and strength of those who survived them. 

The Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery (NMAG) is honoured to exhibit a replicated portion of The Witness Blanket in the summer of 2024, on tour from the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Inspired by a woven blanket, Witness Blanket is a large-scale work of art created by master carver Carey Newman, containing hundreds of items reclaimed from residential schools, churches, government buildings, and traditional and cultural structures from across Canada.  

The Witness Blanket is on display from August 10 to September 20, 2024.