June 11th, marked the one year anniversary of the apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on behalf of the country to all of the survivors and their families of the residential school system.
In Panmure Island, a special kind of remembrance took place with about 75 people in attendance including local media from CBC and APTN.
To start the day, words of welcome were done by Amanda McIntyre from the Native Council of PEI. Next, the honour song was done by Krieghton Larkin and Elders Catherine Archer and Janet MacDonald, followed by a prayer from Cathy Archer. Remarks were done by local MLA, Buck Watts, and then the artist, Levi Cannon, himself, spoke about his creation. The indoor portion of the event was concluded with some words from survivor Cathy Archer.
In the afternoon, amidst drizzle and scattered sunshine, a permanent structure was put up to acknowledge and recognize those survivors of residential schools. This structure, known as the Honour Pole, was carved by artist Levi Cannon and depicts different faces of animals, humans and spirits. The pole stands twenty-two feet in height. It is a sight like no other and will be a permanent reminder of an unfortunate time in our Canadian history.