Carey Newman’s Witness Blanket has expanded into a multi-user virtual reality experience developed in collaboration with Camosun College on Vancouver Island, according to the artist. The project, which uses 3D scanning and recorded sounds, aims to help classrooms and museums explore the history and legacy of the Canadian residential school system.
Multi-User Virtual Reality Expansion at Camosun College
The Witness Blanket has toured the country for over a decade as a physical installation woven from items reclaimed from residential schools and other institutions. According to Carey Newman, who is a Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish artist, the new multi-user VR adaptation builds on the original single-user virtual replica launched previously.
Users can interact with virtual objects that trigger collected sounds of culture and language from Indigenous community members, Newman stated. Camosun Innovates director Richard Gale noted that the technology breaks new ground in virtual and extended reality applications.
Guided Narratives and Classroom Integration
The updated virtual reality software introduces guided pathways centered on specific themes from the residential school system, such as hunger, the disconnection from language, and loneliness, according to Newman. Participants can pick up 3D-scanned objects—including braids of hair representing items like those cut from children upon arrival—which transform back into their original forms within the virtual space.
Did you know? The physical Witness Blanket incorporates items reclaimed from residential schools across Canada to serve as a national monument recognizing the system’s atrocities.
Newman stated that the format is designed for museum exhibitions with timed displays and for use in classroom environments to support ongoing education and dialogue.
Pushing Back Against Residential School Denialism
The expansion arrives amid a broader cultural shift and increased political polarization surrounding residential school history in Canada, according to Newman, who expressed frustration regarding denialism. Documented records show that at least 4,000 children died in residential schools, according to historical church and government records cited in the project’s background.
Newman emphasized that technological adaptations like the new VR project help push back against denialism and preserve the reality of survivors’ experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Witness Blanket?
The Witness Blanket is a national monument created by Carey Newman that incorporates items reclaimed from residential schools to honor the children forced to attend them.
How does the new VR experience work?
The multi-user VR experience uses 3D-scanned replicas of objects from the blanket, allowing users to interact with them, hear collected Indigenous sounds and languages, and follow guided thematic narratives.
Who collaborated on the VR project?
The project was developed by artist Carey Newman in collaboration with Camosun College on Vancouver Island.
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