A travelling exhibit from Kenora’s Lake of the Woods museum, entitled “We Were Taught Differently” now on display at the Minden Hills Cultural Center, hopes to enlighten local residents about what indigenous children and youth endured at these schools – the last of which closed in 1997.

Comprised of a series of panels, photographs and first-person accounts, We were Taught Differently is difficult content to absorb. Touching, poignant and shocking in its portrayal of the lives of indigenous children forced to endure corporal punishment, physical and sexual abuse and discrimination, the exhibit holds nothing back. On display are the real-life testimonials of the pain and suffering and the collective shame of the country.

Shannon Kelly, Manager of Cultural Services, spoke with CanoeFM recently about the significance of the exhibit and why learning about the indigenous experience in residential schools is so important.