A third-grade student at Maude Burke School in Melfort is hoping a memorial will be created in the local museum to remember residential school victims.
After hearing about the news of the 215 children whose remains were found in Kamloops B.C. last week, Summer Wasylyk was inspired to create change.
Summer’s mother Hannah Fisher told northeastNOW the two of them are originally from Flin Flon, Manitoba.
“We are Metis and although the residential schools have not affected us personally, we recognize the pain that has come from it,” Fisher said.
On Sunday, Hannah told Summer about the children that were found and after watching a few educational videos on residential schools the two had a very emotional conversation about it.
“Throughout the day she kept telling me how sad it was and how she was so glad it wasn’t happening anymore,” Fisher said.
On Monday, people were encouraged to wear orange t-shirts, but Summer didn’t have one to wear. She found a white shirt and created her own.
(Submitted photo/Summer Wasylyk)By Tuesday evening, a memorial had been created outside of Melfort City Hall so the two took some shoes there that no longer fit Summer as well as a stuffed animal.
“After going and placing her things, she had taken it all in,” Fisher said. “She mentioned that she was happy we took her stuff there and then she expressed concern as to what would happen afterwards with the items the community had placed there.”
(Submitted photo/Hannah Fisher)Summer told her mother how nice it would be if the items would be placed in the museum.
“I responded to her by saying that maybe you could write them a letter, Summer, if that’s what you want them to do,” Fisher said. “I told her, get your friends to sign it. Use your voice. Your voice is powerful.”
Summer wrote the letter that night and the next day she asked her friends at school if they would like their name on it and whoever agreed, she wrote them down, according to Hannah.
(Submitted photo/Hannah Fisher)After school on Wednesday, the two sent the letter in an email to the City of Melfort. They are awaiting a reply on the letter and are sincerely hoping for a memorial to be set-up at the Melfort Museum.
“Summer has always been a kindhearted, gentle force and believes in fairness and inclusion,” Fisher said. “I believe her passion on getting involved has stemmed from knowing that these children were treated with such cruelty and injustice.”
When asked why she felt it was important to write a letter to the city on this topic, Summer said she does not want them forgotten.
“I want people to remember the day we put our things out for the children at the residential schools,” Summer said.
Along with the memorial at city hall, some orange t-shirt cut-outs also popped up outside of the Kerry Vickar Centre in Melfort on Thursday morning.
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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com
On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser
