A trucker convoy heading to Kamloops to honour the 215 children whose remains were found at the Kamloops Indian Residential School received honours of its own Saturday as it passed through 100 Mile House.

More than two dozen members of the TsqB次元官网网址檈scenemc people (Canim Lake Band), along with members of the 100 Mile House community, cheered the convoy of trucks as they passed by Saturday morning. A dozen drummers stood on the side of Highway 97 outside the South Cariboo Visitor Centre, playing traditional songs that mingled with the horns of honking semis.

The event was organized by Joseph Archie, Canim LakeB次元官网网址檚 cultural enrichment worker, who said he was blown away by the response to his Facebook post. Archie said the gathering was to show solidarity and support for what the truckers were doing. He was proud to see that the District of 100 Mile HouseB次元官网网址檚 Mayor Mitch Campsall and Coun. Chris Pettman, along with the Cariboo Regional DistrictB次元官网网址檚 Al Richmond and Margo Wagner, had come to join them.

B次元官网网址淚t brings warmth and helps to heal. It shows someone is doing something which is really good to see,B次元官网网址� Archie said. B次元官网网址淪eeing the support from different groups of people is pretty amazing.B次元官网网址�

This was especially important for residential school survivors like Elizabeth Pete.

Pete attended St. JosephB次元官网网址檚 Mission in Williams Lake for several years, starting in the fall of 1954. Before she went, her mother cut her hair short for the first time in her life. Without her long braid, she looked so different that friends from Canim Lake didnB次元官网网址檛 recognize her at the school.

B次元官网网址淚n my childhood mind, I think I adapted to the place. My adult mind learned to look back and judge,B次元官网网址� Pete said. B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 call that place a prison when I was a child but my adult mind learned to.B次元官网网址�

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While Pete considers herself one of the luckier survivors, she still remembers the impact the mission had on her life. She wasnB次元官网网址檛 a victim of sexual abuse, but silence and obedience were expected and enforced by corporal punishment, Pete said. She described how once a nun struck her arms with a yardstick and left a bruise from her elbow to her wrists.

B次元官网网址淚 remember all of us. We were supposed to be learning, but there was always this tension - this fear. We werenB次元官网网址檛 relaxed in the classroom. If we didnB次元官网网址檛 know the answer, then youB次元官网网址檇 get the ruler across the desk.B次元官网网址�

Archie is hopeful the newfound support from the Canadian public will continue in the future, and encouraged the local politicians to pass the message on to higher levels of government.

B次元官网网址淥ur Prime Minister Trudeau is quick to put the blame on the church but the government could have stopped funding and quit the residential schools but they didnB次元官网网址檛,B次元官网网址� Archie said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 got to be some accountability there for sure.B次元官网网址�

Pete questions how much money the government spent operating the schools over the years and wonders if the government officials who funded them cared or simply turned their backs on children unable to defend themselves. To those in government today who are unwilling to confront this history, she says B次元官网网址渟hame on them.B次元官网网址�

Chief Helen Henderson was also in attendance and said this experience was as heartfelt as it was heart-wrenching. Henderson said the drumming made her heart happy and that she cried when she heard about the convoy.

B次元官网网址淭he tears flow freely now, and when I see non-Indigenous humans reach out and show their support to all Secwepemc in such a public way, (it) means a lot to us as Secwempec people.B次元官网网址�

Henderson said itB次元官网网址檚 important that everyone remembers that 215 children were denied their B次元官网网址渃ross over songs.B次元官网网址� These songs are sung loud to awaken their ancestors to accept the spirits of the children and Henderson said theyB次元官网网址檒l continue to sing them until those children are brought home.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e still here. WeB次元官网网址檙e still strong,B次元官网网址� Pete said. B次元官网网址淲hen I was hearing about the 215 children in Kamloops I was thinking they had parents. ThatB次元官网网址檚 200-plus mothers, 200-plus fathers. They had paternal grandparents, maternal grandparents. Our communities have extended, tight-knit, families.B次元官网网址�

Henderson maintains all the stories about residential school, both known and unknown, need to be heard and acknowledged, for the sake of the new generations.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know what reconciliation looks like but events like this are a small step towards reconciliation and recognizing this is our history,B次元官网网址� Henderson said. B次元官网网址淭he more we connect to non-Indigenous folks and teach the history of our culture, our territory and our experiences, I think that it puts us that much closer truly to reconciliation.B次元官网网址�

patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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