BIRCH ISLAND—On Friday, September 26, the doors of the Shawanosowe School opened and the children spilled out onto the grounds, ready to march. Grades 5 and 6 were assigned as helpers to assist the teachers with the Kindergarten and Grade 1 students. Danette McGregor played her hand drum and sang as the line of marchers made their way down along the back road and out past the band office to where the monument stood on Highway 6, dedicated to Misssing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
“We also march on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Womens’ Day as well,” Principal Gail Payette explained. “We wear red on that day.” On Friday, all the students, teachers and parents wore orange, as their Friday march was close to the Day of Truth and Reconciliation.
Ms. Payette explained the children have learned why this march is important. “In the classrooms, the teachers prepare lessons on the history of Truth and Reconciliation Day, the importance of it, and the significance of the Orange Tee Shirt, the story behind it. They learn about residential schools and the impact it’s had on the indigenous people throughout the years and how we support and value each other in a good way by doing activities like this.”
Marching at a pace to match everyone’s abilities, the group arrived at the memorial site. It took a bit of time to corral the little ones and quiet them down, but once that was achieved, a beautiful, yet simple ceremony followed. The Grades 5 and 6 set down the orange rocks they had painted and the principal gave tobacco to all present. Student Ace Bowerman went about smudging all gathered.
“We’re all wearing orange shirts for a reason today,” Ms. Payette began, “Tuesday, September 30 is Truth and Reconciliation Day, a day when we recognize and honour our ancestors and our indigenous families who attended residential schools. We want to ensure that we pass the message on that every child matters, back then and today, especially. Every one of you matters, every child in the world matters, and today we are honouring that. We’ve asked Ms. Arlene to lead us in a special way for that.” Nookmis Arlene Pitawanakwat began with a prayer and words of guidance for the young students. Danette McGregor, the Ojibwe Language Teacher at the school, led songs which everyone sung, and Talon McGregor, school counsellor, also White River First Nation Health Nurse, collected the tobacco from everyone with prayers of thanksgiving, which Nookmis Pitawanakwat would take to a sacred fire.
The hope is that these marches and simple yet poignant ceremonies will have increasing significance over time for these young students, bringing healing and wellbeing, truth and reconciliation to these children and future generations.
by Margery Frisch
