Over 800 people are expected to gather in Victoria Park in London, Ont., on July 1 for the Turtle Island Healing Walk.
The event comes amid increased discourse of injustices against Indigenous peoples following the discoveries of the remains of 215 children at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C. in late May and an estimated 751 unmarked graves at the site of a residential school in Saskatchewan last week.
“We’ve lost people and we want to walk for them. We want to walk for survivors and for future generations. We’re healing for those that are walking behind us as well as those in front,” says lead organizer Elyssa Rose, spirit name Little Thunder Woman, from Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point.
“We’ve had people say to our group of organizers here, ‘Is this a march, is this a protest?’ It’s not, it’s just a walk. It is a walk where we join together, as if we were able to walk in a park side-by-side. This is just more of a mass.”
Rose, who is also the anti-human trafficking coordinator with Atlohsa Family Healing Services, says she was moved by community members who are non-Indigenous who reached out to her, suggesting a walk. Rose says she took some time before coming back with her vision for the event.
“We were talking about how important this is and it wasn’t about us. It was about community and how can we do something for our Indigenous community but also that includes everyone,” Rose explains.
“I’m so honoured that this is where it’s at now, because what we thought would be a sidewalk walk or a park event has turned into something massive. And that just shows how many people are wanting something like this.”
The event begins at 10 a.m. Thursday in Victoria Park with several speakers addressing attendees, who are encouraged to wear orange.
“There’ll be some sharing and some housekeeping things and we’ll kind of share what that walk is going to look like. There will be a nice pause within traffic and a performance that will happen by our jingle dress dancers, and it will be very, very empowering. I encourage everyone to be there.”
Rose says organizers are mindful of who will be in attendance and will have an area in Victoria Park for anyone unable to walk to gather in comfort, as well as water stations set up throughout the route.
Outside of the walk, Rose encourages non-Indigenous people looking to make a positive impact to take Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations seriously; to support Indigenous communities, people, businesses and organizations; and to practice kindness.
“We need those that we share Turtle Island with to recognize the truth, which, (it) appears that’s what people are doing,” Rose says.
“I actually received a teaching when I first started at Atlohsa and it has changed my whole life and it says, ‘The longest journey you will ever take in your life is from your head to your heart.’ And I hope that everyone in our community can come together in a beautiful way just with that thought — that we want to come from heart.”
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