'Every Child Matters' walk in Morley, Alta., recognizes residential school atrocities
Indigenous community members and their allies gathered in Morley, Alta., on Friday to recognize the intergenerational traumas of Canada’s residential school system.
The second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was commemorated with an "Every Child Matters" walk between the McDougall Memorial United Church and the Morley United Church.
Both sites carry a long and painful history for those impacted, including Valentia Fox of the Îethka First Nation, who attended residential school at Morley United.
“For us to heal, we have to tell the stories, the ugly truth that happened to residential school students. The greater society needs to hear our stories and to believe us, because we experienced it,” Fox said.
“Once that truth is out of your body, not just out of your mind, but out of your body, then it's easier to start working on healing.”
Fox spent 11 years attending residential school. She told the story of her first day, when her mother made her brand-new moccasins that were quickly taken from her by her teachers.
“Once we were there and our parents left, we were taken down to the basement, stripped of our clothes, doused with kerosene and then shoved under showers,” Fox said.
“And then later, the teachers hired a dentist to come to the school and work on children’s teeth. He pulled our teeth with no anesthetic and when we cried, he slapped us and said, ‘Shut up, you stupid little Indian.’”
Those painful memories are why a couple hundred people marched Friday in honour of the children who didn’t survive.
Walk organizer Eve Powder is a survivor of the David Bearspaw Indian School and said she was overwhelmed by the support of community members.
“Moving forward, I just want everyone to know that we're all in this together,” Powder said.
“Sometimes, I just don't want to talk about it because it just hurts. It really hurts, but we need to come together.”
The second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was commemorated with an "Every Child Matters" walk between the McDougall Memorial United Church and the Morley United Church.
The event was also meaningful for family members of residential school survivors, including Shyles Smalleyes, whose grandparents attended residential school.
He emphasized the importance of education for younger generations.
“We need more people to listen because the more they stick around, the more they understand what happened,” Smalleyes said.
Young children attending the event who are just learning about residential schools agree that there’s no reconciliation without first learning of the past.
Akayla Haynes is just 10 years old, but she’s looking forward to listening for years to come.
“I get to see all the different cultures and find out what other people have been through,” she said.
“Events like this show that lots of people are supporting this and I'm happy about that because back in time, not many people cared.”
Friday’s event included several speakers, a powwow and a safe space for residential or day school survivors to share their stories.
For Fox, the hope is that reconciliation conversations continue to create more positive changes for Indigenous peoples in the future.
“Forgiveness, I think, is key, and forgiveness will help us move forward,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
BREAKING Police cordon off Iran consulate in Paris where man threatens to blow himself up: French media
French police cordoned off the Iranian consulate in Paris on Friday, where a man was threatening to blow himself up, Europe 1 radio and BFM TV.
Some Canadian families will receive up to $620 per child today
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.
BREAKING Iran fires at apparent Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
An apparent Israeli drone attack on Iran saw troops fire air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan, an assault coming in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Ottawa to force banks to call carbon rebate a carbon rebate in direct deposits
Canadian banks that refuse to identify the carbon rebate by name when doing direct deposits are forcing the government to change the law to make them do it, says Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault.
Ontario woman loses $15,000 to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
After COVID, WHO defines disease spread 'through air'
The World Health Organization and around 500 experts have agreed for the first time on what it means for a disease to spread through the air, in a bid to avoid the confusion early in the COVID-19 pandemic that some scientists have said cost lives.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.