KAMSACK – It was a beautiful morning in Kamsack on Thursday, September 30 when hundreds of people wearing orange shirts gathered in front of the Chief Gabriel Cote Education Centre. Through the buzz of excitement, Principal Jonas Cote welcomed the crowd over a microphone and made safety announcements regarding the upcoming walk along Highway No. 8 on the Cote First Nation. At 10 a.m., the principal invited attendees to pause for an opening prayer delivered by Elder, Reggie Severight.
Following the prayer, a group of flag carriers made up of local youth led the crowd from the front of the school toward the highway. A slow moving RCMP guide vehicle provided a safe lead for the hundreds of men, women, children and Elders who followed the procession to toward the infamous St. Phillips day school site. A group of vehicles with beautiful displays of orange decorations and posters brought up the rear.
As the sea of orange moved down the highway, Lavern Kakakaway held a flag and an eagle feather to encourage local traffic to slow down and show respect for the travelling procession. All of the commercial truckers and vehicle traffic were compliant, coming to a complete stop for approximately ten minutes to allow for safe passage for the variety of families with strollers, Elders with walkers, adults, teens, and little ones making their way in a long line stretching approximately one kilometre along the side of the road. Although the morning brought bright sun and warm temperatures, smoke blew in from a neighbouring wildfire, smudging the horizon and giving the scene a dreamy look and feel.
After making their way to the site, the crowd gathered around a monument of an upright feather and plaque commemorating the names of the families who had been subjected to the horrors of residential schools and day schools in the area. With a microphone set up on location, Principal Cote emceed once again, introducing prayers and drumming. The flag carriers stood behind the monument, a circle of drummers was set up off to one side, and a number of chairs and tables were set out for Elders. Chief George Cote delivered a heartfelt speech to the crowd and read aloud a list of the names of the families who were identified on the plaque as victims of intergenerational trauma. He added that if any families were missed, that the plaque would be extended to accommodate them.
During the 小蓝视频, many of the attendees looked overhead to the sight of three eagles circling, which was of great encouragement. The event concluded with a lunch.
Later the same day, at 1 p.m., the Town of Kamsack held a flag 小蓝视频 to acknowledge the very first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Mayor Nancy Brunt and three of the six Kamsack town councillors were in attendance. The event also included a prayer and drumming. A group of approximately 60 people, mostly wearing orange shirts, either stood or sat on the ground to hear speeches from Mayor Brunt, Chief George Cote, Chief Lee Ketchemonia, Elder Reggie Severight, and KCI student representative, Kate Erhardt.
