A sculpture, a photo, and a new understanding of reconciliation
September 29, 2025, 9:14 am
Ashley Bochek
With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this week, it has me thinking about my personal experience with learning the purpose of the day in recognizing the Indigenous culture and heritage that is so prominent in our country and province.
An event to honour Indigenous art
Two years ago, I was asked to cover and photograph a significant event for the World-Spectator at the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina.
It was the September 9, 2023. An unbelievably talented sculptor, Stan Hunt, from British Columbia, was travelling across Canada highlighting an incredible piece of art he created in honour of Every Child Matters and Indigenous people in Canada.
His sculpture encompasses children and traditional tales of Indigenous culture and our nation’s unforgettable history influenced by colonialism that scarred generations of Indigenous families.
It features 130 faces of children carved into a cedar trunk with a raven at the top—overlooking and protecting the children known in Indigenous traditional tales.
In high school you learn about Truth and Reconciliation, Residential Schools, and Indigenous culture and identity, but no reading in a textbook or lecture by a teacher compares to the genuine experience of being part of, and integrated within, Indigenous culture and celebrations.
That day in Regina was beautiful.
In the speeches presented by RCMP officers and Stan Hunt and his family, I witnessed love, care, heartbreak, and history, all within one afternoon.
Stan Hunt and his family travelled with the sculpture across Canada stopping in cities and celebrating Indigenous heritage and culture, and reconciling the past.
The event at the RCMP Heritage Centre allowed for conversation, celebration, and learning experiences unlike any classroom.
People were overwhelmed with the dedication of Stan Hunt to his work as well as the historical significance of the sculpture and the importance of the day. Looking back, I enjoyed the speeches about reconciling our country’s history, and this event was a step toward rebuilding relations between Canada and the Indigenous peoples, and moving forward together.
The work of art ended its tour at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec across the river from the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. It was unveiled at the museum on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day, 2024.
Contacted by National Museum
The summer of 2024, I was contacted by the Canadian Museum of History to license a photo of mine to display in the museum along with Stan Hunt’s sculpture.
I was shocked. I thought my photos were good and portrayed the day well through the frames, but I never ever thought they would be noticed by anyone beyond the local readers of the World-Spectator.
I actually remember coming back after my lunch break the day the museum contacted the newspaper about my photo and my colleagues telling me to look at the email instantly!
I was so happy telling my family, and they were beyond proud and excited for me.
My photo was originally licensed to be displayed in the museum for one year before I was contacted a few months later asking to renew the licensing for one more year because the photo complemented the exhibit so well.
My photo of two RCMP officers placing a star blanket over sculptor Stan Hunt’s shoulders will be part of Stan Hunt’s Every Child Matters Exhibit until September 30, 2026.
Still today, I am shocked that a photo of mine is highlighted in our country’s national museum for everyone from around the country—from all over the world—to see and admire. Being part of an Indigenous exhibit is also special to me because our country is working hard at building a new future, building better relations with Indigenous peoples, and recognizing their culture.
My photo is a part of our country’s turning point in celebrating the Indigenous peoples and culture in our nation.
My photo is a part of history, and it makes me happy to see our commitment as a nation to highlighting Indigenous art, and recognizing the true importance of Indigenous people in our country.
Visiting Canadian Museum of History
This summer I was lucky enough to travel with my parents and younger brother to see my photo displayed at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau.
I felt like a celebrity being escorted to the exhibit by a museum employee and having photos taken of me beside my photo.
When I first laid eyes on my photo my heart jumped in my chest.
Instantly I felt excitement and joy to see my photo—taken through my eyes that special day in Regina—placed on a wall for all to see and admire in our national museum.
I have been to a lot of museums in my life with a teacher as a mom, and I have sometimes walked through museums briefly looking at the photos hanging on the walls, and moving on.
But after seeing my own photo in the Canadian Museum of History, sharing the image I captured with the world, I realize that every photo has a fascinating story behind it, and instead of briskly walking past each photo, I am going to actually look closely and admire the details and connections each one makes to the museum and the exhibit it is part of.
It was truly special seeing my own work enlarged and displayed on the wall as part of such a special exhibit in such an important place.
I was in awe of the exhibit. It was set up beautifully, with the Residential School Memorial proudly placed in the middle of the room, surrounded by photos of its trip across Canada to its ultimate destination, the museum.
I wish the museum was just down the road or closer to home so I could see my photo every day, or show more of my family and friends because it still feels unreal to me.
Thankful to museum
I am so thankful to the museum for highlighting my photo as part of telling the story of Stan Hunt’s amazing piece and its journey across the country, to where it now proudly stands as a reminder to our country of the importance of Truth and Reconciliation.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is about reminding our country and the people in it of our horrific past so we can move forward together, and now I understand the importance for Indigenous people of telling these stories through sharing and art.
I learned at the museum that day that each Indigenous artist who is helping remind us of these truths is special, and their stories deserve to be highlighted.
Thank you to the Canadian Museum of History for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
It will forever be a highlight of my life.
I am so grateful to be recognized as a photographer worthy of having her work displayed in a national museum—an opportunity and goal I never knew I had.
Thank you to the World-Spectator for the experience and exposure to special events like that amazing day in Regina. A photo of mine would not be in a museum if it weren’t for the World-Spectator.
And on Truth and Reconciliation Day, I encourage you to learn, or to experience an Indigenous celebration or event in your area to better understand Indigenous culture, but also to appreciate their dedication and resilience to continue to share and to teach us all to move forward in Truth and Reconciliation to make our country, and our world, a better place.
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