The Lax Kw鈥檃laams Band has raised a monument in memory of Indigenous people who died in the Miller Bay TB Hospital and honouring survivors.
鈥淭his project is an important symbol for not only Lax Kw鈥檃laams members but all who were impacted by Miller Bay TB Hospital,鈥� said Lax Kw鈥檃laams Mayor Garry Reece. 鈥淲e hope that all who were affected find peace through this memorial.鈥�
The monument, carved out of red cedar, stands at the entrance to the Miller Bay site on Hwy 16 near the turnoff to Port Edward after being raised on June 20, just ahead of National Indigenous People's Day.
鈥淭he Miller Bay Monument was carved with utmost respect to honour those who went to Miller Bay Hospital,鈥� said Michael Epp, the carver and a Ganhada of the Gitlaan tribe.
"The figures on the monument represent healing for the survivors, strength, endurance and the responsibility and continuity of cultural life. It also stands in memoriam to the individuals who passed on in the hospital. Atop the monument, a warrior stands holding a copper and a spear, protecting all the tribes and their territories, lands and waters for all time.鈥�
The raising of the monument marked the culmination of a week of related remembrance and healing events.
On June 17, Lax Kw'alaams hosted a TB (tuberculosis) Class Action Information session. It was an opportunity for Miller Bay survivors to learn more about the ongoing class action lawsuit settlement and schedule testimony and cultural support sessions.
Miller Bay was one of 33 segregated hospitals operated by the Canadian government as "Federal Indian Hospitals" in the mid-20th century.
Eligible members of the suit, those who were patients at any of these hospitals between 1936 and 1981, are entitled through a proposed settlement to a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $200,000 for psychological, verbal, physical and/or sexual abuse experienced while admitted.
The estates of patients who died on or after Jan. 25, 2016, may also be eligible.
June 18 was a day for testimony gathering and ATIP (Access to Information and Privacy) training.
June 19 was a dedicated wellness day with cultural and emotional support sessions run by Tom Smith. Smith is a Haisla and Ts'msyen Intuitive Trauma Therapist and member of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society support team.
On June 20, the carved monument was loaded in Metlakatla and transported to the Rushbrook Dock in Prince Rupert. It then travelled via Hwy 16 to its final resting place at the entrance to the former Miller Bay site.
Following the raising of the monument, community members and guests gathered at the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre to share a meal, traditional songs, and dances.
Today, the Miller Bay hospital, is mostly reduced to rubble, the only prominent remnants being the smokestack from the powerhouse and basement of the laundry building. Some other building foundations can still be made out amid the overgrowth.
Miller Bay was originally built by the Canadian Air Force during the Second World War as a military hospital, but it was never used for that purpose. Following the war, the federal government repurposed it to isolate and treat Indigenous patients with tuberculosis 鈥� many of them children forcibly removed from their communities.
"Patients were often separated from family for years at a time," stated a Lax Kw'alaams press release. "The hospital is part of a wider legacy of colonial health practices that caused intergenerational trauma and loss. The monument project is part of ongoing efforts to confront this history and support community healing through truth and reconciliation."
