History 

The Acimowin Opaspiw Society was formed to represent the  Survivors of B lue Quills  Residential Schools, and their descendants. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors and an Executive Directorate. Membership to the Society is open to Survivors of Blue Quills and their Descendants.

Mandate

The Society's mandate is to represent the Survivors of Blue Quills Residential School, with projects, initiatives and  ensuring the required resources are obtained for  implementation of:

1.     Ensuring the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions 94 calls to  

 Action  are acted upon               

          (Governance)

2.     Blue Quills Residential School Survivor Support and Wellness.

         (Health &  Wellness)

3.     Truth Telling 

         (Residential School Survivor Stories, Bringing the Children Home Project)

4.     Indigenous Language and Culture Preservation 

           (Cree  language reclamation classes,  Transcribing all media and documents,     

            Traditional knowledge keepers)

5.     Knowledge Sharing 

         ( Survivors, Elders with younger generations)

6.     Multimedia 

       (documentaries, songs, artistic expressions)

7.     Indigenous Intellectual Property Protection

       (engagements with local artists, businesses, knowledge  keepers, song 

makers on  intellectual property protection)

Strategic Plan, 2021

The Board of Directors have identified a strategic plan that will be in alignment with the Society's' mandate. The Society will be focused on these multi year , and long term initatives

1. 1. Blue Quills IRS Missing Children in Unmarked Burials Investigation

 Policy Research, Survivor disclosures and support (knowledge gathering) , multi stakeholder engagement initatives, location of former student burial sites, historical research, memorial ceremonies, GPR & Forensics investigation into the former Blue Quills sites that had associated Residential School cemeteries, relationship building with the Catholic Church through Reconcilation Partnerships, Survivor and Investigation team meetings and gatherings.

1. 2. Language revitalization and reclamation resources 

(Cree and Dene Language classes, translation of media in Cree and Cree syllabics)

1. 3. Culture Revitalization 

(Cultural Life Skills and Land Based Learning)

1. 4. Residential School Survivor Cultural Supports and Holistic  Wellness 

(Eagle Feather Wellness Plan/ Continuum, to support Survivor healing  during the Investigation and after)

1. 5. Digitizing our History

Online museum with fonds and media from Blue Quills Survivors