The Duplessis Orphans at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights: Healing through representation.

Abstract

As a graduate student at Carleton University, I had the opportunity to develop a module proposal on the Duplessis Orphans for inclusion in the Canada Zone at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR). The decisions for my proposal were informed by the CMHR's mandate, the context of the Canada Zone, my module topic, and the ideas that I developed through an engagement with class discussions and readings. Ultimately, I proposed that through a process of consultation with the Duplessis Orphans, the CMHR should foreground their voices and provide several opportunities for visitor reflection and dialogue. The Duplessis Orphans have expressed their need for a public apology from those responsible for the human rights abuses that they suffered as children. Just as a public apology can provide an opportunity to heal from a traumatic past, I argue that the representation of the Duplessis Orphans' story in the CMHR can also serve as a mechanism for healing by acting as a powerful public acknowledgment of the struggle they have endured.