Carey Newman or Hayalthkin’geme is a multidisciplinary artist and master carver. Through his father he is Kwakwaka’wakw from the Kukwekum, Giiksam, and WaWalaby’ie clans of Fort Rupert, and Coast Salish from Cheam of the Stó:lo Nation along the upper Fraser Valley. Through his mother he is English, Irish, and Scottish. In his artistic practice he strives to highlight Indigenous, social or environmental issues. Carey was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 2017 and was named to the Order of British Columbia in 2018. With Kirstie Hudson, he co-authored Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories and the Making of the Witness Blanket which was a finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Nonfiction. Carey lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
Kirstie Hudson is an editor and writer in Victoria, British Columbia. She was a reporter and producer with the CBC in Toronto, Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Victoria. In her award-winning career as a journalist, Kirstie’s work was recognized with a Jack Webster Award, Radio Television Digital News Association Awards and a Gabriel Award. As an instructor at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University, Kirstie shared her love of storytelling with students in writing, communications and journalism. She co-authored Picking Up the Pieces: Residential School Memories and the Making of the Witness Blanket with Carey Newman. In 2020, the book was a finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Nonfiction.
NANCY DYSON studied international development at Vassar College and became deeply concerned about issues of inequality. Later she became an early childhood educator with a special interest in children’s literature.
DAN RUBENSTEIN is a geographer, environmentalist and writer.
Dan and Nancy make their home in Gloucester, Ontario.
Raymond Tony Charlie is a member of the Penelakut Tribe, a First Nation based on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
A father of three adult sons, Raymond Tony Charlie attended two residential schools operated by the Roman Catholic Church when he was a teenager. Memories of those difficult years, marked by physical, emotional and sexual abuse inspired him to write his book, In The Shadow of the Red Brick Building. Contact us for purchase. [askewcreek.com/contact]
Now a respected Elder in his community, Raymond Tony Charlie acknowledges the damage done to his self-esteem and ability to adapt to mainstream society was profound and lasting. However, over time, assisted greatly by counselling and family support, Charlie has managed to turn his life around. Indeed, he has become an inspiration to other dealing with the challenges that life threw at them as a direct result of their own experiences at residential schools.
Today, Raymond Tony Charlie shares his message of recovery and hope with youth, students and other adult survivors through workshops and speaking engagements. He has participated in videos and podcasts about the Kuper Island Residential School experience and utilizes social media to educate the broader community.
Raymond Tony and his wife, Lorraine, have been married for 50 years and live in the Cowichan Valley, on Vancouver Island, BC Canada
