The Every Child Matters Walk/Ride from Delmas event took place on July 1. (Submitted photo/Crystal J. Tootoosis)

By Angela Brown

Community support

Walk/Ride from Delmas residential school in memory of children who did not make it home

Jul 2, 2021 | 6:19 PM

A group of supporters took part in the Every Child Matters walk/horseback ride on Canada Day on Thursday, from the site of the former residential school in the Delmas area, travelling along-side Highway 16, to just outside of Battleford.

One of the organizers, Crystal Jean Tootoosis, said the event was held to recognize the lost children of residential schools as well as the survivors. The focus was also to raise awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. As well, to remember the eight Indigenous warriors hanged at Fort Battleford in 1885.

The all-day walk/ride wrapped up with a meal and prayer at Colonel Otter Park, just south of Battleford at close to 7 p.m. Some people also drove their vehicles behind the group to show support during the highway walk.

Crystal says a number of participants, including herself, came from Poundmaker Cree Nation to show support. Many also attended from Thunderchild, Red Pheasant, and Little Pine First Nations.

“As of [June 30] there are 1,505 grave-sites found so far,” she said of the number of unmarked graves recently located on the grounds of several Residential Schools across Canada.

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Crystal said the walk started at the site of the former St. Henri Residential School in the Delmas area, in recognition of the ground search currently underway there for potential unmarked graves.

“What we hope comes out of this [walk] is the memory of those children who never came home from the residential schools,” she said.

Participants in the walk/ride carried flags in three colours – orange to remember the Residential School children, red for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and black for the eight Indigenous warriors who were hanged in 1885 at Fort Battleford.

Among those riding horses in the event was Edwin Tootoosis, Crystal’s 87-year-old father who survived residential school at Delmas. Crystal said her father is fortunate he did survive.

“My father tried to run away [from residential school] two times, and it was during winter,” she said. “He was found in a hay stack, just about frozen. So he could have easily been one of those [who did not survive].”

Crystal said when her family started hearing about the unmarked grave sites found near the former residential school site in the Kamloops, B.C., area, and at other locations, “it opened up a lot of fresh wounds for our family.”

“I am also a residential school survivor,” said Crystal, who attended residential school in the Prince Albert area as a child.

“In our way, we suffer for what we want,” she said.

During the Delmas walk/ride on July 1 under a hot sun, Crystal said, the participants in a way felt as though they were suffering a little for the children of residential schools who were not able to return to their homes.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow