Editor鈥檚 note: The story below may trigger difficult or traumatic thoughts and memories. The Indian Residential School Survivors Society鈥檚 24-hour crisis line is available at 1-866-925-4419.
A persistent, cleansing September rain didn鈥檛 stop 300-plus people from local First Nations and nearby municipalities from walking to honour the inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Hosted by the Sts鈥檃iles First Nation, the walk was meant to bring awareness of and healing to those who were traumatized or have survived the residential school system and in memory of those who did not.
For nearly four kilometres down Morris Valley Road on Sts鈥檃iles land, hundreds marched, led by hand drums and songs of healing. Nearly all wore orange in honour of Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Some brought signs proclaiming 鈥淓very Child Matters鈥� while others dressed in traditional Sts鈥檃iles regalia.
At the walk鈥檚 final destination at Sandpiper Golf Course, Sts鈥檃iles Chief Ralph Leon was among several speakers.
鈥漈oday is a hard day for our people, but as well, slh茅m:exw, it鈥檚 raining,鈥� Leon continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 washed away some of those things that need to be washed away from our people.鈥�
Leon was sent to St. Mary鈥檚 Residential School in Mission.
鈥淭he things that were witnessed, and if those walls could speak for us at St. Mary鈥檚, it would be everything that we need to know,鈥� he said.
Leon said he was happy to see members of the Sq鈥檈welets First Nation joined the Thursday morning walk.
鈥淲e need to do this, and it鈥檚 going to get bigger every year,鈥� Leon said. 鈥淚 have that good feeling, we鈥檙e going to walk together like we鈥檙e supposed to. We are all brothers and sisters, regardless of how you look at it. We come from only one mother 鈥� Mother Earth.鈥�
Leon pointed out that there is no word for different colours of skin in the Halq鈥檈me鈥檡lem language.
鈥淲ith those other words in those other languages comes judgement, racism,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have that in our language. That鈥檚 why we acknowledge brothers and sisters, because that鈥檚 what we are and forever will be.鈥�
adam.louis@ ahobserver.com
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