This week's #CBBxManiMonday is a bit delayed on account of the extreme heatwave the Pacific Northwest is having and is an emotionally heavy set of nails. As this is our last week of "Allyship" themed nails, I wanted to pay my respects to the children lost in Canada's residential school system. With the recent discovery last week announced by the Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan of 751 unmarked graves at the former Marieval Indian Residential School, this year's Canada Day should be one of listening and acknowledgement of Canada's far from perfect past AND its continuous mistreatment of Indigenous people. Canada Day also happens to be my birthday so I will still be celebrating that, but there will be no Canada Day nails or anything like that happening in this space. This year is especially heavy and we should all feel ok with that.
This nail art depicts the journey of Anishinaabe boy Chanie Wenjack who was taken away from his family at the age of 9 to Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in 1963. Three years later he ran away in an attempt to go back home to his family over 600km away in Okogi Post. Nine other children ran away that day, but Chanie was the only one who was not caught. A week after he fled, Chanie's body was found by the railway tracks alone having been unable to survive the harsh environment and starvation. His story is just one of most likely thousands of others. I did not know of his story until reading the book Seven Fallen Feathers and then learning about the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund. There is a lot of information here should anyone wish to research Chanie's story further, but I think as a Canadian, everyone should know this boy's name and why he died.
On My Nails:
(Base Coat) OPI Sensitive and Peeling*
(Base colour) Cirque Colors Extra*
(Glitter) Barielle Stardust
(Footprints) Black acrylic paint
(Top Coat) CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat*
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