By Joanne Rodgers,
Bruce Peninsula Press
On the evening of July 3 Lion’s Head hosted a walk to honour the Indigenous children who never came home and whose graves are only now being discovered on the grounds of former Residential Schools’ properties.
Collaborative Event with the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation
Co-organizer Marydale Ashcroft said “This Walk came together as a collaboration between members of The Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and members of the Lion’s Head community. We gather together to honour and remember the lives of the Indigenous children whose bodies are being recovered on or near the sites of Indian Residential Schools across Canada, and to acknowledge the lasting generational impacts to the Indigenous communities.”
Crowd Size Exceeds Expectations
Organizers expected about 500 to 800 persons to attend, but a spectator at the corner of Moore and Main Street places the number closer to 1,000. Masked due to Covid protocols and clad in orange to represent “Every Child Matters”, the community members from Nawash and Northern Bruce created a ribbon of orange as they walked from the Bruce Peninsula District School, down Main Street to the Beach Pavilion. “Powerful”, “emotional”, and “glad to be part of a caring community” were some of the sentiments expressed by locals.
Music Welcomes the Walkers
Brian Taylor on the Harbourside Stage welcomed the attendees. He talked about reading Not Wolf, Nor Dog authored by former Chief Wilmer Nadjiwon, who describes his feeling of loneliness as he sailed past Barrier Island on the way to the Residential School in Spanish. Taylor along with First Nations musician Barry Diamond performed 500 Miles as a tribute to the children taken miles away from their homes. Later in the evening, they performed “Fiddlers Green”, written by Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip, and dedicated the song to both the children who were lost and to their mothers. Gord Downie had written the song for his sister, whose infant son had died, and the song was intended to reassure her that her little one would be well cared for in Sailors’ Heaven or “Fiddler’s Green”.
Nawash drummer Barb Solomon performed the Wolf Song (Ma’iingan) in honour of those families who lost their children and encouraged the audience to never forget them.
Moment of Silence Observed
Marydale Ashcroft acknowledged “the Saugeen Ojibway Nation as the traditional keepers of this land.” She asked for a moment of silence “to remember the lost lives of the children, and those who lost their lives in the years to follow, and to offer silent thoughts to those who still feel the pain.”
Lion’s Head Community Presents Artwork “Homage” to Nawash
Dona Ashcroft spoke of the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers in Anishinaabe culture; love, respect, bravery, truth, honesty, humility, and wisdom.
On behalf of the Lion’s Head Community, she presented a drawing by local artist Mark Nadjiwan entitled “Homage” to Greg Nadjiwon, Chief of Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation. The painting depicts an image of the beaver (amik) at home in the wild surrounded by the two principal elements of its existence, water and trees.
Comments from the Chief
Chief Greg Nadjiwon thanked the attendees for being there and for their willingness to work together to make the future better than the past. He described what happened to the First Nations people as a miscarriage of justice and asked for the audience’s support as the First Nations “hold those accountable”. He continued “we owe it to the children.”
The Chief shared his personal experience as a child and sibling of Residential School Survivors. He said that the children of the Residential Schools rarely saw their siblings at school, were punished if they communicated in their own language, and spent years being told “who they were, were not allowed’. Corporal punishment was a way of life for the children with the aim to ‘beat the Indian out of the child”.
The Chief asked all the children under the age or 12 to stand and he explained that these were the ages of the children taken from their homes and the parents did not see their children again for four, six or eight years. He issued the ominous warning that there will be more graves, as approximately one in five children passed away at Residential Schools.
Explaining that the Colonial Legacy is not far behind us, up to 1965 the Indian Agent was on-site on the reserve and actively hindering any community development. The Chief reminisced about his Uncle Wilmer Nadjiwon, the Chief at the time, who was a War Veteran and Residential School Survivor, finally saying to the Agent that there ”was not room for both of us.”
First Nation Communities Need Closure
Nawash Elder Miptoon stated that in the mid 1940s Indigenous children were picked up by the hundreds across Canada, “In my community a mother is standing, looking out the window, as a car backs out a driveway. Three children sitting in the backseat crying but are reassured they will be back soon. They are comforted with chocolate bars and soon they are asleep. The mum is still looking out the window crying, or should I say wailing. A wail that is filled with a heart break that only a mother can feel, hoping that the car would return and never giving up hope. She would look for 12 years, although she had no support. Her husband died in the war and she relied only on the kindness of her neighbors.
Imagine for a moment that this was happening right across Canada. Mums crying for their loss. Over time, just going through the motions left me wondering, “Can you hear me? I love and miss you”.
How can this happen in this country where freedom is supposed to be for everyone?“
Miptoon wants Canadians to understand that this Legacy not only impacts the Survivors but the Community as a whole. He says “We need closure”.
Time to Bring the Children Home
Paul Nadjiwan, a drummer, singer and traditional storyteller performed two traditional drumming songs, the first one being a Bear Spirit Creation Story song. He said ”we need to walk together, we need to bring the children home… Every voice counts, your voice means something.” Nadjiwan performed a Travelling Song as the event ended and the attendees filed out of the area.
Sale of T-shirts Raises $4,500 for Nawash Children Services
Prior to the Walk 300 Orange “Every Child Matters” T-shirts were quickly snapped up, raising $4,500 for children services at Neyaashiinigmiing. More T-shirts are on order and will be available at The Dandy Lion in Lion’s Head, all monies from the proceeds will also be sent to Nawash Children Services.
