Members from several Vancouver Island First Nations and other attendees numbered in the hundreds for a gathering in Victoria marking a day of healing, and to honour the 215 children who never came home from a Kamloops residential school.

The timing of TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 memorial aligned with the end of 215 hours B次元官网网址� one for each child buried in an unmarked grave at the school site B次元官网网址� since flags at Victoria city hall and the legislature were lowered to half mast.

B次元官网网址淭his is our time to honour the 215 children and to stand with the TkB次元官网网址檈ml煤ps te Secw茅pemc people,B次元官网网址� said Songhees Chief Ron Sam ahead of the event. B次元官网网址淲e support their call for governments to increase support for pathways for healing.B次元官网网址�

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Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations hosted a canoe protocol, where onlookers watched as four canoes, each representing a different Island Nation, rowed into VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 harbour on their ancestral highways. Canoe by canoe, a lone paddler rose and asked permission to come ashore before local chiefs accepted them onto the land.

B次元官网网址淚t gives us the opportunity to be a part of our ancestors when weB次元官网网址檙e out there because weB次元官网网址檙e carrying their spirits when weB次元官网网址檙e coming in,B次元官网网址� Cecelia Dick, Songhees member and canoe protocol organizer, told Black Press Media.

The paddlers, led by a drum procession, walked from the harbour docks to the lawn of the B.C. legislature.

Speakers opened the ceremony by giving thanks.

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B次元官网网址淚 pray and ask that you take of each and every one of those little souls that journeyed home, finally after all this time,B次元官网网址� one speaker said.

B次元官网网址淭hank you for everything that we have today, thank you so much for all the healing songs that you can offer us, thank you to the creator for keeping us alive and keeping our teachings alive.B次元官网网址�

Attendees, many in orange shirts to bring awareness to the intergenerational impacts of residential schools, formed a large heart on the legislature lawn before the different First Nations led drum circles in the heartB次元官网网址檚 centre.

Dick said the ceremony was a chance for younger generations to learn the meaning behind wearing orange shirts and offer B次元官网网址渁 healing path for the ones who have gone to residential schools.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hat better way to do that (than to) come together as Nations from this Island to share our culture B次元官网网址� singing, using our drums B次元官网网址� to help heal our elders,B次元官网网址� Dick said to the crowd.

Premier John Horgan, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and many other government officials were on hand to take in the canoe protocol, procession and drum circles Tuesday.

Dick said the memorial was important and their way of B次元官网网址渟howing our support and love to the Kamloops people.B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淚t was amazing to see everybody here.B次元官网网址�

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