聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Senior students of Keeseekoose Chiefs Education Centre walked the distance along the highway from the school to the band hall on Friday in a demonstration they called an Apartheid Walk.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students conducted a similar walk in October last year to help focus attention on missing and murdered aboriginal women.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students, who were joined by students from Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex and community members, decided on calling it an Apartheid Walk after having studied in class about the plight of aboriginal people in New Zealand, Australia and Africa, Vera Tourangeau, one of their teachers, said last week.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he walk is their initiative,鈥� she said of the grades 6 to 12 students who walked with other members of the community.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e will walk for the inadequate education funding agreements, for those who have no voice, for those that are crying out for justice, for those who died in the residential schools and for missing and murdered women,鈥� says a poster advertising the walk.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚f you are an indigenous woman in Canada, your life expectancy is five years shorter (than others); you are at least five times more likely to be murdered; you are three times more likely to live in poverty; you report three times the level of violent victimization, and you are three times more likely to live in unsafe or inadequate housing than are non-indigenous women,鈥� the poster says.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 On their way to the Keeseekoose hall, the students stopped at the site of the former St. Philips residential school to lay a wreath in memory of those who suffered in the residential school system.
A program at the hall included presentations by: Heather Bear of Ochapowace First Nation, who is a vice-chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, and representatives of the Keeseekoose and Cote First Nation communities.
