Healing walk acts as spark for week of honouring, remembering

Farah Brooks from Sitansisk First Nation danced down Fredericton's Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge in her jingle dress on Wednesday, followed by a sea of her schoolmates and community members in orange t-shirts. 

Brooks, who is in Grade 4, said she felt happy to dance and sing on the walk.

"It's for the children who didn't make it home," Brooks said. 

Wolastoqi Elder Imelda Perley said when she heard the jingles coming down the bridge, she couldn't help but feel emotional. 

WATCH |  Hundreds gather for healing walk to honour residential school survivors

How a healing walk brought generations together in unity

2 years ago

Duration 2:46

Fredericton's Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge served as a gathering place for Indigenous people and allies to walk and remember those who never made it home.

A healing walk involving Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School, George Street Middle School, Devon Middle School, Under One Sky Friendship Centre, the University of New Brunswick and community members took place in Fredericton on Wednesday. 

Brooks was part of a group of four who sang the Forgiveness song. She said they practised for a week to prepare.

Prayers, speeches from community leaders, a tobacco offering and song and dance were part of the ceremony intended to honour residential school survivors and the children who didn't make it home. 

Perley said this walk was the spark for the whole week. She didn't want the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to only last one day, which is why they started preparing the children early in September, she said.

'Bridging the gap of misunderstanding'

"The idea is to never forget — that it's not just Sept. 30," said Perley. "So that's [why] I wanted it to be an ongoing memory of making sure that we live for those who didn't."

The idea for the walk as also in honour of Perley's own brother, who was taken to Shubenacadie Indian Residential School and didn't survive.

She really wanted the healing walk to be "witnessed," which is why the bridge was chosen. 

"If it's just us Indigenous people doing it for ourselves by ourselves, then it's not reconcili-action, is it?" said Perley.

"That's why I wanted to make it as public as possible and use the bridge as that symbol of bridging the gap of misunderstanding."

Annual event

The healing walk will be an annual event and she hopes next year, people might stretch all the way to the Westmorland Street bridge. 

For Perley, the event combines two action items — recognizing the name of the river as Wolastoq and having children be the leaders in that.

She said 215 children's footprint decals, containing the words "I'm sorry," have already been ordered for next year. Her goal is to have them on sidewalks, at the Willie O'Ree Centre and at the premier's office. 

"I really want that awareness," said Perley. "And that's where the healing comes, when we have witnesses."