Young John Sabourin waved from his front yard as the Popemobile rolled past his house in Fort Simpson on Sept. 30, 1987.

SA国际影视传媒淭here were 200 vehicles parked in our yard. TV cameras from all over,SA国际影视传媒� Sabourin recalled. SA国际影视传媒淲e walked down the hill to see (Pope John Paul II) and the Dene leaders who gathered. To me it wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 a big deal. It was a spectacle.SA国际影视传媒�

In 2022, artist John Sabourin plans to see Pope Francis for other reasons during his Canadian visit scheduled for this summer.

SA国际影视传媒淚 look forward to the pope coming and apologizing on behalf of the Vatican,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Sabourin has dedicated the last two years to carving out a case for a papal apology while documenting survivorsSA国际影视传媒� stories in chlorite and alabaster.

When Caregivers DonSA国际影视传媒檛 Care: The Impact of Residential School, is a series of 10 carved figurative sculptures that express the themes of evil, horror, grief, despair and cultural survival that wind through residential school narratives.

Sabourin, who boarded for three years at the LaPointe Hall residential school in Fort Simpson, based the imagery on overlapping stories heard from loved ones and neighbours over his lifetime.

SA国际影视传媒淭his is a story of Indigenous culture across Canada as well as our own in the Dehcho,SA国际影视传媒� he explained. SA国际影视传媒淪ome of it is for me. For some, ISA国际影视传媒檝e heard the story. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a truth that has to be told and shared so itSA国际影视传媒檚 not forgotten. It means a lot to me.SA国际影视传媒�

SabourinSA国际影视传媒檚 signature carving style features meandering lines and a constant sense of fluid movement, most-often in his depiction of animals such as ravens, loons, bears or shaman in mid-transformation.

SA国际影视传媒淚 remember as a child always stopping to look at the snowdrifts as well as always looking up at the Northern lights. So this is what ISA国际影视传媒檝e been trying to capture,SA国际影视传媒� he said, referring to his style over his career.

In a departure, the present series includes figurative carvings, but they remain distinctly Sabourin.

In SA国际影视传媒淏elieve or you will burn in hell,SA国际影视传媒� the carver uses his smooth undulating lines to depict a nun beating an unknown student. The creases and folds of her garment crawl up her tunic like fire and brimstone. In her hand she swings a rosary as a weapon, delicately carved, sanded and filed by the artist over seven days.

Sabourin produced a sculpture every four weeks or so since receiving a Canada Council for the Arts grant for the project, which had already marinated in his imagination for about a decade.

The imagery is not meant to be comfortable.

Sabourin reveals a small child peering from under a priestSA国际影视传媒檚 robe in SA国际影视传媒淯nholy CommunionSA国际影视传媒� and children kidnapped by boat in SA国际影视传媒淭aken from belonging.SA国际影视传媒�

In SA国际影视传媒淣ot coming home,SA国际影视传媒� a mother sobs into her palms as a child, appearing grey by SabourinSA国际影视传媒檚 use of unpolished chlorite, reaches up as a memory.

A child stuffs a suitcase in SA国际影视传媒淧acking for a confused and confusing home,SA国际影视传媒� a large cross among her baggage.

Two girls fight over a bowl of soup in SA国际影视传媒淲e tear each other apart,SA国际影视传媒� and a child bites on her restraints as she kneels on a disc of alabaster in the shape of a communion wafer in SA国际影视传媒淭rying to be good for God.SA国际影视传媒�

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 a bleak collection, SA国际影视传媒渉eavySA国际影视传媒� Sabourin says, but not exclusively.

In SA国际影视传媒淗ealing Medicine,SA国际影视传媒� a mature drummer stands firm and tall.

SA国际影视传媒淗e has pride in himself, his people and his culture,SA国际影视传媒� Sabourin said, describing the figure.

The largest sculpture in the collection is SA国际影视传媒淗ope rebirth of a family.SA国际影视传媒� On one side, a woman is in labour. On the other, connected by the umbilical cord, is hope in the form of a child.

SA国际影视传媒淎nd where thereSA国际影视传媒檚 hope, the possibility for reconnecting is born,SA国际影视传媒� said Sabourin.

Sabourin is currently working in Frozen Rock Studio in Kam Lake on a new collection of ravens, loons and bears for a show at the Ad盲ka Cultural Festival in Whitehorse at the end of the month, followed by a visit to the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik in July.