The History Basket

"I call this basket a history basket to mark the 1st National Day of Truth and Reconciliation held in Ottawa on September 30, 2021. A day that memorialized the children that were taken and died, and to support the survivors and families of Indian Residential Schools, and all those affected by Indigenous Child Apprehension Programs in Canada, including the U.S. 

A residential school survivor from Akwesasne, Dean George, picked the sweetgrass. 70 feet was braided by families of survivors, many First Nations people from Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Akwesasne, the NWT, Saskatchewan, Dene, Thunder Bay and Vancouver. Also people braided who identified as settlers from England and Wales, East Africa, and Guyana S. America. The youngest weaver was 6 years old. 

Lots of apologies were spoken for the children that were taken and never returned home. The top weave represents tear drops for families and communities. Each round weave in the middle represents approximately 325 children found buried on school grounds in Canada and the U.S.A., a total of 8,000 so far.

Two railroad designs represent a 13 year old Algonquin boy Joey Commanda who ran away from the Mohawk Institute at Brantford, Ont. and made it 31 miles until he was killed by a train on his way home to Pikwakanagan (Golden Lake). That school shut down in 1971. The other railroad track design represents a 2nd grader from Akwesasne, put on a train to Thomas Indian School, 345 miles away. She is my mother, Leona Cook, a 91-year-old survivor. This basket is dedicated to her and all the other survivors.

The 7 rows of orange represent 7 generations, we are still here.

Niawen/Thank You to Telena and Dawn from the Indigenous Collective Arts of Canada for Organizing "Remember Me-A National Day of Remembrance and Orange Shirt Day."

Written by: Debbie Cook-Jacobs, traditional basketry artist. Akwesasne baskets are now on display at Native North American Travelling College. Akwesasne, Cornwall Island, Ontario.