Driving question: How can we keep apologies for past wrongs alive so they are remembered and not repeated today? 

I found this question very complicated as it is a big part of our world. Answering this through our project took a lot of time, research, and collaboration. We started by watching a documentary covering Japanese internment, Chinese head tax, and the Komagata Maru. Even though it only scratched the surface of each event, I realized that Canada has a lot to apologize for in its history. We were then all assigned one of these event to research thoroughly and find primary sources that tell the story. 

For keystone one, we needed 8 primary sources that I could then analyze and use to tell my story. The first step of finding the primary sources was harder than I had originally thought. I not only had to find first hand accounts but also needed the right and readable ones to clearly tell the story from different views. Even though I ended up getting a sophisticated understanding mark for keystone one, I found the actual process harder than just not being able to find the right sources. When I eventually found the sources I needed, I had a very difficult time analyzing and understanding the primary sources. A lot of the language they used was confusing and hard to read because of age. I spent a lot of time doing the writing for each source and reflecting on that reality, I should have used my IEP to ask for less sources so I could’ve had time for creativity on other parts of the slides. Even with that situation, I am very proud of my work and that is shows my sophisticated understanding of the Komagata Maru.

Keystone 2 was more simple we already had all the information that we needed. Our assignment was to write our own ethical judgment with evidence about our event then record it. I found understanding what an ethical judgment is the most difficult part of this keystone.

“Ethical judgments are attempts to assess the appropriateness of past actions and our current responses to them, remaining mindful of present values and sensibilities and considering fully the norms of the time.”

After that I just wrote a paragraph and did an audio recording of my ethical judgment.

Keystone 3 was the visual representation of the project which was in the form of a monument. I was put in a group with my friends, Ava and Ariane, and together we came up with the idea of our monument being a lantern. The lantern had symbols cut into it that were projected onto the walls when the light was on and each of these shapes are connected to the passenger’s experience on the Komagata Maru. One side of the lantern showed their perspective on what they hoped they would experience when they came to Canada. The other side of the lantern represented the reality of what they faced when they actually arrived on the coast of Canada. Here are several of the symbols used to represent the perspectives of the passengers and our understanding today:

• House: to represent a home/life they wanted to build in Canada
• Flowers: to show growth and a life that can blossom in Canada
• Peace Sign: many of the passengers were coming from severe hardships in India and were looking for a peaceful life.
• Maple Leaf: this Canadian symbol represented their hope to be Canadian and because they were British Citizens, they thought this was possible.
• Uneven Scales of Justice: to symbolize the inequality they faced by the Canadian Government, media, and civilians.
• Thorns: to show the hardships and barriers that were put in place making it impossible to stay.
• Gun: this symbol demonstrated the violence they experienced in Canada and the violence many faced when they returned to India.
• Handcuffs: this symbol showed how the passengers were imprisoned on the boat that was supposed bring them to freedom.
• Broken Heart: to represent their disappointment and their destroyed hopes as they starved and were turned away.

The main challenge in making our visual was finding the best light source for inside our lantern. This was the part that I thought would be easy but the type of light mattered. Some were not strong enough which meant that the shapes were not projected clearly, and some duplicated the shapes so that they overlapped. In the end, we used the light on an iPhone to cast the perfect light.

Exhibition

Our monuments were not only meant to be displayed publicly on our blogs, but were built to show at our 2022 Winter Exhibition. The theme of the exhibition was around the blockbuster movie Avatar and more specifically what the fantasy world of Pandora revealed about our own society. 

There were about eight rooms and each room connected to a theme shown in Avatar that we also see in world history and even in our present. For example, my room theme was militarism and my group and I had to connect the idea of militarism to the Komagata Maru incident. How the Canadian government responded with militarism to the arrival of the Komagata Maru was represented visually in our exhibition room, the Combat Zone. On the night of the exhibition, all of the grades in my room were told to start setting up, as the Grade 9 had a layout and plan in mind. Unfortunately, the student who had created and posted the layout was sick and no one understood what he had drawn. We came up with several ideas and moved props around when we were told that we were in the wrong place. After relocating, we found we were missing two of the tarps needed for the plan. Another challenge was finding the right spot for our specific monument. We needed less light  in order to display our lantern but with the move, our projections were not as effective as we had seen in our trials. We solved this problem with the help of the Grade 12 assigned to our Combat Zone. These were frustrating challenges that required some quick problem solving in the moment. 

In the exhibition, I enjoyed seeing what the other Grade 10 PLP class did for their monuments. I also intentionally went and asked the Grade 8’s and 9’s about their projects. On a personal note, I stood up and answered questions about my project. Instead of letting the others talk, I participated with more confidence and I think it is because my group mates were two very good friends. In the end, the exhibition ended smoothly, we cleaned up quickly, and got excited to see Avatar, The Way of Water.

Top 10 Moments of The Way of Water

1. Hanging out with friends! 
2. Popcorn with butter and a sprite!
3. The small details in the movie ( like the ripples in the water) were fantastic.
4. The fact that the underwater scenes were filmed underwater and looked authentic!
5. The Bioluminescence! 
6. Seeing the change in culture between the Tree People to the Sea People!
7. Kiri developed cool things as a character.
8. I loved the bond between the Toruk and Na’vi people.
9. I like that there will be more in the series.
10. I was emotionally attached to the youngest child of Jake Sully and Neytiri (Tuktirey) and if she had DIED I would have walked out.