Participants take part in a walk to the Battleford Industrial School Children's Cemetery. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Truth and Reconciliation

Many gather for walk to gravesite to honour children lost to residential schools

Sep 29, 2021 | 6:46 PM

About 300 supporters, many wearing their symbolic orange shirts, took part in the Walking for the Children – Orange Shirt Day commemorative walk, south of Battleford, Wednesday.

Participants followed COVID-19 protocols and wore masks as a precaution.

The event was part of the Truth and Reconciliation Day and Orange Shirt Day activities.

People took part in the walk from the site of the former Battleford Industrial School site to the Battleford Industrial School Children’s Cemetery, remembering all those who died at residential schools, as well as the survivors.

A total of 74 people are buried in the cemetery associated with the school, the majority of whom are children.

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The event was organized by the Ridge Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man (MGBHLM) First Nation, as well as Living Sky School Division, the Battleford Industrial School Commemorative Association, and Sunchild Law.

During the opening ceremony, Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman said she was glad to see so many youth attending the walk.

“It’s really important that we don’t lose sight. That every child matters,” she said. “Young people, do whatever you want to do. Dream big. Don’t let anything hold you back… Our people were told to be quiet. Our people were told not to be seen. And, we are breaking cycles, and we are going to walk together.”

Residential school survivor Elder Jenny Spyglass, an FSIN and BATC Senator, also participated in the ceremony. She spoke about some of her experiences when she gave the opening prayer.

“Parents, when your kids go to school in the morning, hug them, love them,” she said. “Encourage them. Don’t yell at them… Show them love, so they will learn at school, and they will come home happy.”

Spyglass said she lost a little brother in residential school.

“He didn’t make it home,” she said, with tears in her eyes.

Spyglass said people have to keep remembering all the children who did not make it home from residential schools in Canada.

Indigenous lawyer and advocate Eleanore Sunchild, of Sunchild Law, said the commemorative walk to the Battleford Industrial School Children’s Cemetery started about seven years.

She said the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, as a new holiday in Canada, is a day to honour Spyglass and other survivors like her.

Sunchild related in Indian Residential Schools children were called by a number they were given, not by their name.

“I told that to my son today on the way to school and he said: ‘It’s like prison,'” she said. “Yes, that’s kind of how it was. It was not a very nice place. There was not a lot of love, and there were a lot of bad things that happened in these schools. I don’t want to traumatize anybody, so I’m not going to talk about the stories. But If you ever have the opportunity to listen to somebody, it’s an eye opener.”

Sunchild said she appreciates that there is now a national holiday to recognize the painful history of residential schools in Canada.

“That’s how far we have come in bringing awareness to Indian Residential Schools, and in bringing awareness to other issues that affect Indigenous people,” she said. “I’m really glad to see it has come to this point today.”

Sunchild added that Indigenous people are still healing. But they are still proud of their culture and their heritage.

“In Indian Residential Schools, they tried to take us away, and they failed,” she said. “We’re still here. We’re still proud, and we’re still strong.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @battlefordsnow