Monday, September 30 is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Dominion City and Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nations are inviting the community and surrounding area on a walk for reconciliation.
Jason Mateychuk, organizer of the walk says they first thought of the idea four years ago.
“I'm a really big believer in when you have important days like Remembrance Day that you personally do things to honour them regardless of the level of impact on it. The Truth and Reconciliation Day was something that when I heard about it, with all the history of residential schools and all the history with the Indigenous culture, I thought this is a really important day to think about how we honour it, and how we do things in the right way.”
He explains that after talking with his coworker, Jenn Collette and a few other community members, they decided the walk was the right direction.
“Just talking with a few friends, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, the idea came up and just said let's take some time and do a walk where we can honour the day, think about our lives and how we can make this world a better place in general, but also in terms of reconciliation.”
Mateychuk shares that he thinks the walk is a way to show investment in learning. He says it may be easier to send a cheque as a donation but that just wouldn’t be enough.
“Make it where it would represent some of the trials and tribulations that Indigenous people have gone through over the years, a walk, in no way compares with any of that, but it was symbolic and investing the time. And also when you think of the theme of reconciliation, it was an opportunity to walk with people who maybe you don't know or maybe they can tell you a part of their story, and you can tell part of yours, and it becomes how we have conversations about reconciliation and how important it is.”
He says the walk is a great way to spark up new conversations and learn about other people in the community.
“The first year I got to walk with three ladies who had been in the residential schools and when I walked away from that, I understood way more of the importance of reconciliation and that's why we keep moving forward with it, it's just a really good way to make those connections with people and bring it to light to in the public eye.”
The walk will begin at 10 am starting at Roseau Valley School and participants will be escorted by RCMP, MFNPS, and the RM of Emerson-Franklin Fire Department to the Residential School Monument at Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation.
“The walk takes some people under an hour and some people 2 1/2 hours. The starting point of the other part, like the speakers, the drumming, and the food is variable because of when people will arrive. But then there is also a bus after all of that concludes, that will bring anybody from Dominion City who started out at RVS, it will bring them back to the school, so they're to their vehicles.”
Mateychuk invites anyone who is interested to join them on the walk and learn more about Indigenous culture and reconciliation!