Apology Dice: An Interactive Discussion about Residential Schools and the Possibilities of Reconciliation
The Apology Dice is an interactive art performance that engages small groups in conversation—about Indian Residential Schools, colonialization, and possibilities of reconciliation— through the rolling of large, custom-made cedar dice. Each die is cast one at a time, and in order, to form a sentence....
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | unknown |
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Digital Commons @ TRU Library
2018
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| Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.library.tru.ca/tpc/2018/program/11 https://digitalcommons.library.tru.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=tpc |
| Summary: | The Apology Dice is an interactive art performance that engages small groups in conversation—about Indian Residential Schools, colonialization, and possibilities of reconciliation— through the rolling of large, custom-made cedar dice. Each die is cast one at a time, and in order, to form a sentence. The words on the faces of the first die read: “I am” / “We are” / “They are”. The second die reads: “so” / “fairly” / “really” / “not” / “somewhat” / “deeply”. The words of the third die display “sorry” on five sides and “tired of this” on the remaining side. The participant reads the sentence aloud and interprets its meaning, in the context of First Nations reconciliation in Canada, and in light of what has happened (or not happened) since the official apology for Indian Residential Schools offered by Harper’s Conservative government in 2008. Combinations may include: “I am / so / sorry”; “We are / not / sorry.”; or “They are / really / tired of this”. Who is the dice speaking for? The government, the churches that ran the schools, First Nations peoples, or the non-indigenous public? Do official apologies matter, even if they are not followed up with concrete actions? Apology Dice is an artistic effort to stir emotional response, to help participants discover, educate, heal, and express their feelings about this history. For ambivalent participants, rolling the dice may prompt more certainty. To those feeling decided, play may reinforce their beliefs or perhaps unsettle them. |
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