It’s about time that people start paying attention to the atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples, says Shane Hughes.
The memorial tree he started in Tsawwassen’s Highland Park, he hopes, will be a place for folks to reflect on the history of colonization in Canada and pay respect to the growing number of Indigenous children being found at former residential schools.
“People need to be more educated as to what really happened – it was genocide. I want people to stop and take a look and really think about those children,” says Hughes.
Dedicating this tree to the growing number of Indigenous children not only stemmed from his love for the First Nations cultures that have surrounded him his whole life, but also because his great grandma attended the Mission Residential School, herself.
So far, the tree has been surrounded by flowers and colourfully painted rocks and has its bark adorned with a bird house and handcrafted eagle, butterflies, Indigenous artwork and various other mementos.
The tree, he says, is a place for people to leave a little part of themselves with the Indigenous children who were killed in these schools, whatever that may be.
“It makes me just totally overjoyed that there’s been participation, and it’s a thing of beauty,” he adds. “A little movement of education and understanding goes a long way.”
He hopes that non-Indigenous people who haven’t been impacted by colonialism are realizing now, if they haven’t before, how “real” the trauma is that Indigenous people are facing at the hands of the Canadian government.
From there, he hopes that they will be compelled to learn more and do more about it.
“I would love to have anybody who would like to come down and drop off a little something in memory and add to the growing tree of reconciliation,” says Hughes. “Maybe they’ll put something on the tree to add to the memorial and feel a sense of peace as they walk away, knowing that they gave a little something to contribute.”
