Battleford Industrial School Cemetery cairn. (File photo/battlefordsNOW staff)
Commemorative walk

Silent walk planned to Battleford residential school gravesite in memory of Kamloops children who died

May 31, 2021 | 4:20 PM

A small gathering is planned near the site of Old Government House, south of Battleford at 6 p.m. May 31, to honour the 215 children whose remains were recently found on the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Participants will take part in a silent walk from The Ridge Wellness Centre to the nearby graveyard where more than 70 children are buried who attended the former Battleford Industrial School.

Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man (MGBHLM) First Nation Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman said the Battlefords area community wants to show they stand in solidarity with British Columbia First Nation families during this time.

“Bring little tiny shoes, bring a teddy bear, wear orange shirts,” she suggests for those joining in the walk.

Participants are asked to wear a face mask and follow social distancing rules for COVID-19 protocols in place.

Aguilar-Antiman said she has worked with residential school survivors, and has family members that are also survivors.

“They all spoke of children who went missing,” she said. “They all spoke of children who were murdered, and the loss of children who ran away and froze. We heard those stories; so in honesty I feel this is timely for reconciliation. Those dark, ugly histories, stories of horror and trauma, it’s coming out, and we need to address that.”

MGBHLM Economic Development Corporation CEO Grant Beaudry is disheartened to hear of the children found buried at the Kamloops site.

“I can’t imagine the parents how they felt. I have 15 grandchildren that I love very dearly and hold to my heart. I could not imagine my daughters or sons being separated from their children. We have to keep working towards healing.”

Beaudry’s mother Theresa Spyglass Beaudry and his father Henry Beaudry Sr. suffered abuse attending the residential school at Delmas. Beaudry said one of his uncles died of starvation while attending residential school.

“It’s intergenerational the effects of residential school,” he said. “They were carried on to me.”

Elder Jenny Spyglass lost one of her brothers who died in a residential school, but she doesn’t know which school.

She suffered attending residential school in Delmas after being taken away from her family at the age of three.

“I was still a baby,” she said.

Battleford Mayor Ames Leslie says the town is lowering its flags to half-mast May 31 to remember the children who died at the Kamloops residential school.

“We’ll fly that for the foreseeable future out of respect in honour of those children…,” he said. “It’s everyone’s worst nightmare to lose your children and not know where they went. This is part of healing, and hopefully as a nation we can start to move forward.”

The City of North Battleford is expected to also lower its flags to half-mast as well.

Onion Lake Cree Nation Councillor Leon Whitstone said it was astonishing to hear the news of the Kamloops incident.

“This really put the nail in the coffin so to speak. It’s really shocking,” he said. “It gets me mad, but it’s also potentially healing for our people to move forward.”

Whitstone hopes the Kamloops discovery will help people become educated on what many First Nations went through. He also supports the move to search more residential school sites, which he believes will open many eyes. He also believes that future discoveries could open up even bigger wounds.

“I’m pretty sure they’ll find a lot more than what they can handle,” he said.

Whitstone and others from Onion Lake Cree Nation will continue to support and offer their condolences to their brothers and sisters in British Columbia. The Cree Nation held a walk for the 215 children earlier in the day Monday, and will participate in a walk in Lloydminster at 7:45 p.m., May 31.

“We pray and will continue to pray for them,” he said.

– with files from Josh Ryan

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

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