Overview

In partnership with the Survivors Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, this series of stamps seeks to raise awareness about residential schools and the legacy of trauma and abuse that continues to have an impact on Indigenous Peoples today.

For this third year of the series, the Survivors Circle selected artists Adrian Stimson, Robert Burke and Helen Iguptak to provide work for the stamp issue.

These works reflect the artists’ experiences at residential schools and express resilience, cultural resurgence and the hope for a better future for all children.

Good to know

The stamp issue is produced in partnership with the Survivors Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

About the Stamp

Canada Post is committed to listening to Indigenous voices and to using these stamps as a vehicle for Survivors to share the truth of their experiences so that we can support the process of reconciliation and, ultimately, healing, as we move forward.

Canada Post thanks the Survivors Circle of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation for their guidance throughout this process.

The stamps on the Official First Day Cover feature the artwork of the following artists:

Robert Burke (b. 1944), he/him

Robert Burke’s work explores the social issues and personal challenges surrounding his Black Indigenous identity, as well as his experiences at St. Joseph’s Residential School in Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories.

Born in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, he pursued art full time after retiring in his 50s from his role as a logging contractor and heavy machinery mechanic.

Burke has since received several grants and recognition for his art.

An exhibit of his paintings focused on his experiences was mounted at Fort Smith’s Northern Life Museum & Cultural Centre in June 2015, after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released the summary of its findings. The exhibit was mounted at Yellowknife’s Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre the following year.

“Let's just say that my years at residential school weren’t positive… But when you are a kid, there are also moments of happiness, which are reflected in my use of bright colours to shed light on some rather dark subject matter. I have come to embrace bright colours and sharp-edged images as one of the best means of expressing my artistic voice.” – Robert Burke, from a 2015 CBC interview.

Helen Iguptak (b. 1951), she/her

Helen Iguptak is an Inuk artist born in Perry River and raised at Kangiqtiniq (Rankin Inlet), Nunavut.

When she was seven, she was taken to live at Turquetil Hall in Chesterfield Inlet, where she was forced to abandon her traditional caribou clothing.

Iguptak befriended an older girl who taught her how to make dolls, a medium with a rich history among Inuit. These “little friends” comforted her and helped her protect her culture from being taken away.

Iguptak rediscovered her art in the 1990s, kindled by her desire to maintain her culture.

Today, her dolls don traditional Inuit dress, stitched with intricate detail, and have been displayed in galleries and exhibitions across Canada.

“I made my first doll when I was at residential school in Chesterfield Inlet. We didn’t have many toys at residential school, and a friend showed me how to make a doll, so I would have something of my own to play with.” – Helen Iguptak

Adrian Stimson (b. 1964), he/him

Two-Spirit interdisciplinary artist Adrian Stimson is a member of the Siksika Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy in Alberta. He is an award-winning artist who has exhibited and performed in major galleries and museums across Canada and internationally.

Through a collage of paintings, photography and pictographs from his previous works, Stimson’s stamp depicts the role that residential schools have played throughout his life – he attended three in his youth – and how they serve as the basis for his art.

His work depicts a personal history of abuse, as well as the resilience necessary to survive, and shows the power of reclaiming his culture and art as a means of overcoming the effects of abuse.

“This stamp, albeit small, contains a big story, one that I am willing to share in hopes of bringing voice and courage to others who have passed and those who may still be suffering. For me, this stamp is a symbol of thriving instead of surviving, triumphing over adversity, a story that will now travel the world over.” – Adrian Stimson

About the design

The Official First Day cover, in orange, depicts the layers of meaning within the Survivors’ Flag of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, reproduced with permission.

According to the NCTR: “The Survivors’ Flag is an expression of remembrance, meant to honour residential school Survivors and all the lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada.”

The Official First Day Cover is cancelled on September 27 in Ottawa, ON.

Product # 414264131

Truth and Reconciliation: Official First Day Cover