The Yellow Thunderbird Lodge held a Smudge Walk in Yorkton聽today聽(July 1).聽
The Walk was for 鈥榯he children found and those yet to be found鈥�.聽
Tribal Chief Isabel O鈥橲oup said the walk was a time of reflection.聽
鈥淚 was sitting here thinking about residential schools and the effect it had ... on our people all across the country,鈥� she said.聽
And it was a time to think about Canada on a day that usually marks the country鈥檚 birthday with celebrations. O鈥橲oup said that this is not the time to celebrate given the recent discoveries of unmarked graves at former residential school sites.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e honouring children that never came home from residential schools,鈥� she said.聽
When you think about those children, celebration isn鈥檛 appropriate, offered O鈥橲oup, adding it is a time when many are dealing with a range of emotions, including anger.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard not to be angry,鈥� she said, adding we must all get past that to build toward a better future. 鈥�. . . It鈥檚 not the people聽today聽... it was their ancestors.鈥澛�
Today, people need to come together, said O鈥橲oup.聽
鈥淲e need to find a better way with it without violence,鈥� she said, adding their ancestors would want a peaceful solution to be found, a kind and loving way because 鈥渢hat鈥檚 the way that we are.鈥澛�
It starts with making sure the current generation know their language and culture, things residential schools were meant to take away, said O鈥橲oup. That process can start by learning 鈥渙ne word a day as our elders say.鈥澛�
Cathy Bear with the Yorkton Tribal Council said it鈥檚 certainly a time to come together.聽
鈥淲e need to become better at working together,鈥� she said, adding it鈥檚 no longer appropriate for decisions to be made about First Nations children without their people being part of the discussions.聽聽
Bear said it certainly did not work with residential schools and we need to learn from that.聽
鈥淟et鈥檚 build a better future for our children,鈥� she said.聽
As for the recent discoveries of unmarked Graves, Bear said as a country something needs to be dome.聽
鈥淐anada you need to make this right,鈥� she said.聽
Yorkton Mayor Mitch Hippsley said being there for the walk was something he saw as important.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honour to walk with you聽today,鈥� he said, adding we need to recognize that what is still a great country in Canada is in large part because the land was cared for by First Nations peoples for generations before settlers arrived.聽
鈥淲e live in the best country on the planet because of you,鈥� he said.聽
The walk took place along Broadway Street from Fifth Ave. to Bradbrooke Ave.
