When the prime minister apologized on behalf of the Government of Canada to former students of residential schools, Peter Morin took the morning off work to listen.

In hearing Stephen HarperB次元官网网址檚 words, he felt a great weight lifted from his chest, despite having never attended a residential school.

Morin, a Tahltan artist, first assumed the weight he felt was for the aboriginal foster kids and their families, with whom he worked as an advocate at that time B次元官网网址� kids, he said, who are are still being removed and placed in non-aboriginal foster homes.

B次元官网网址淚 thought, OK, thatB次元官网网址檚 why,B次元官网网址� says Morin, remembering his emotions from that day in June 2008. B次元官网网址淭hen I thought, no, that was mine. That was my own weight connected to this intergenerational shame and trauma.B次元官网网址�

Morin is Open Space GalleryB次元官网网址檚 aboriginal curator. Hearing the apology inspired him in 2009 to create 12 performance art B次元官网网址渋nterventionsB次元官网网址� exploring the spiritual pain of residential schools.

B次元官网网址淚 needed to understand my own connection,B次元官网网址� says the 34 year old, whose Tahltan Nation homeland is located at Telegraph Creek in Northern B.C.

B次元官网网址淢y work as a performance and installation artist is about creating an experiential space so that people can come with me to the Tahltan land.B次元官网网址�

MorinB次元官网网址檚 newest project has been funded as part of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 150th anniversary celebrations. It addresses a legislative period known as the Potlatch Ban, in place until 1951, which forbade First Nations people from all acts of art in service of community expression, Morin explains. B次元官网网址�(It was) the silencing of artists and the silencing of the creative spirit of the people.B次元官网网址�

Understanding the impact on the community, however, requires understanding the concept of art in the Aboriginal world view.

There is no word for art in any indigenous language B次元官网网址� a fact Morin learned from a teacher and friend.

B次元官网网址淲hen I hear that, what I reflect upon is that every word is a word for art B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 every creative act. That beautiful basket B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 not on the wall, itB次元官网网址檚 not beyond your reach.B次元官网网址�

The Potlatch Ban interrupted this expression. Similarly, he says, residential schools interrupted this cultural, spiritual, emotional and physical mentoring.

B次元官网网址淲hen all of this is interrupted, I want to call it a spiritual pain that exists. Grandparents, they have a desire and a need and a want to teach kids and when theyB次元官网网址檙e not able to teach the kids, they experience spiritual pain.B次元官网网址�

His own grandmother was held back from residential schools, but this, too, created pain. As the kid who stayed behind, she lost her connection to her siblings.

B次元官网网址淢y grandmother could only write her name, but she didnB次元官网网址檛 know how to read,B次元官网网址� Morin says.

B次元官网网址淚t sets up a very sad dynamic between sisters. My grandmother felt sad that she didnB次元官网网址檛 know how to write more. She was also very angry, but itB次元官网网址檚 funny, because she was such a beautiful woman and she knew so much about our culture. She spoke our language fluently.B次元官网网址�

Morin plans to attend the event, being held in Victoria Friday and Saturday (April 13 and 14), which gives people affected by residential schools the opportunity to share their experiences.

B次元官网网址淚 want to be there because itB次元官网网址檚 important,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淭hese stories need to go outward. People need to understand.B次元官网网址�

For his high school audiences, Morin explains it this way: B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e five and somebody comes to your door and takes you from your mom and dad and you donB次元官网网址檛 see your mom and dad for 10 months.B次元官网网址�

As the tears flow freely down his cheeks, he says, B次元官网网址淭here is a whole history of people in my family and the indigenous families who survived that. How incredible, because I donB次元官网网址檛 think I could.B次元官网网址�

Artists also have a role in articulating these experiences, he adds.

Part of the purpose of MorinB次元官网网址檚 art is transformation.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e had too many experiences where people would say to me, B次元官网网址榳ell, residential school is just an Indian problem,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he says.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檒l always remember this one person put their hand out and they pushed the problem away, and I thought, well that canB次元官网网址檛 feel good for you B次元官网网址� to push it away. My projects were specifically about opening up the space where we could work together and acknowledge our shared history.B次元官网网址�

rholmen@vicnews.com