Ne Ki Rotiienáon is an immersive VR experience for the Oculus Quest that allows you to glimpse into the life of an Indigenous foster child. By interacting with specific items in the scene, the player gradually pieces together the child’s story.
Canadian residential schools were government sanctioned institutions that removed indigenous kids from their families, language, and culture. The goal of these schools was to forcibly assimilate indigenous children into non-native society. The last of these institutions closed its doors in 1996. However, the trauma inflicted by this system has lasted for generations.
Many of the children who attended residential school endured severe emotional and physical abuse. These experiences were extremely traumatic, causing survivors to develop a myriad of mental health problems. Reservations and territories alike were ill-equipped to deal with such a colossal mental health crisis. The lack of support and rehabilitation resources caused many survivors to adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms. These mechanisms negatively affected both survivors, and their families.
Instead of offering to rehabilitate those affected by their institutions, the Canadian government continues to re-enact the very thing that caused this situation in the first place: the removal of native children from their families and their communities. Although indigenous children only account for 7.7% of Canada’s child population, 52.2% of all kids in foster care are indigenous. Additionally, these children are most often placed with non-native foster families.
This issue affects both indigenous people living in Canada, and across the globe. The foster care system is the residential school of today.
About the Artist
Kahentawaks Tiewishaw, a Kanien’kehaka artist from Kanehsatake and proud Bear Clan member, draws inspiration from her traditional upbringing, including her early education in Kanien’kehá immersion school and cultural practices like growing traditional medicines and participating in ceremonies. She began her artistic journey at Dawson College, graduating in Cinema/Video/Communications, and went on to work as a sculpture designer at Mega Bloks, creating large-scale works showcased at major events like Comic Con and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Kahentawaks further honed her skills at Concordia University’s Computation Arts program, where she became a Research Assistant at Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC) and the Initiative for Indigenous Futures (IFF), eventually becoming the Skins Workshop Associate Director, where she taught Indigenous youth to tell their stories through digital media. She co-founded Revital Software with her sister and best friend, focusing on Indigenous language learning games, and continues to explore video games as a powerful medium for cultural expression and healing intergenerational trauma.
Links
Website: https://kahentawaks.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kahentawaks-tiewishaw-60592127a/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kahentawaks/