Fort Erie Unity Walk draws hundreds on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

It hasn’t happened overnight, but more people from all walks of life are becoming aware of the reason Orange Shirt Day is held every year, says a leader in Fort Erie’s Indigenous community.

An estimated 500 people participated in the fourth annual Unity Walk on Monday, which was the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

The day recognizes children who died, as well as survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities.

The orange shirt symbolizes the removal of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over many generations.

The last residential school to close in Canada was in Saskatchewan in 1996.

In 2008, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Canadian government issued a public apology to First Nations people for its role in the dark period in Canadian history and the role the government played.

Monday’s walk started at Mather Arch and travelled along Garrison Road to the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre (FENFC).

Sabrina Shawanna took over as president of FENFC only about a week ago.

In an interview with Fort Erie Radio on Monday, she said people of various cultures are gaining more knowledge about residential schools and Truth and Reconciliation.

“I believe the understanding is growing, but we still have a lot of work to do,” she said after the walk, pointing out her grandparents were survivors, and that she feels there are some similarities to what took place in residential schools to what is still occurring in more remote parts of the country related to child welfare.

“We are all here to be experience being human and I think we forget how important human-to-human relations are,” she told Fort Erie Radio.

She was pleased with the turnout.

“My heart is so thankful to see all these people,” she said.

Shawanna is also the leader of Strong Water Singers, a group of women who sing and drum Indigenous songs.

She said a motto she teaches within the group is “be good to each other and be good for each other.”

They gave a short performance Monday at Mather Arch to start the Unity Walk, a seven-kilometre trek.

Before hundreds of people made their way up Garrison Road with the help of Niagara Regional Police, Shawanna approached a few people with a microphone and asked what made them want to participate.

One of the individuals she stopped in front of was Ward 4 Councillor Joan Christensen, who said Indigenous people “have suffered long enough, and it’s about time we acknowledge it.”

Students from several District School Board of Niagara and Niagara Catholic District School Board elementary schools participated in Monday’s walk.

About 55 of them were from Greater Fort Erie Secondary School (GFESS).

Residential schools as well as Indigenous arts and language are part of the high school’s curriculum, and a large portion of its population have an Indigenous background.

“A lot of students have personal connections to Truth and Reconciliation,” said Amber Hussey, a GFESS teacher who also leads the Indigenous Student Alliance at GFESS.

She said it was important that high schoolers took part in the event to “show solidarity and honour residential school survivors.”

A number of politicians attended the event on Monday, such as members of town council, Mayor Wayne Redekop, MPP Wayne Gates, and MP Vance Badawey.

A representative from MP Tony Baldinelli’s office was also spotted.

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