Dene drummers at the La Loche service at the Lac St. Anne Pilgrimage. Photo courtesy Perry Herman, Facebook.

Pilgrims from across the western provinces are returning home after spending a week near what are considered to be the healing waters of Lac St. Anne in Alberta.

The annual pilgrimage highlights how strong the Catholic faith is for thousands of First Nations and Metis people, especially in north-west Saskatchewan, as campers started fill the sacred site late last week.

Northern MP Georgina Jolibois estimated that nearly half of the population from Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN) and La Loche area attend Lac St. Anne.

CRDN organized a special transport bus for elders, and its band and health offices were closed during the week due to the pilgrimage.

Jolibois said her ancestors walked to the pilgrimage after it started in 1885, and she continues attending to this day.

“It’s very important that the sense of history is very strong and very alive, and the sense of respect for language and culture is very alive, and the sense of families and friends coming together for a common purpose: healing,” she said.

This year, there was a special service to honour the victims of the La Loche mass shooting. Hundreds of people were there, Jolibois said, filling the shrine and setting up chairs or standing outside.

Among them, were the families of the victims as well as some of those who were wounded.

The service was led by Arch Bishop Murray Chatlain, who also presided over the funeral for Marie Janvier after the shooting. Dene drummers also took part in the procession.

“It was wonderful to see,” Jolibois said.

“The service focused on communities to heal, families to heal, and coming together to heal.”

Jolibois said she appreciates that Arch Bishop Chatlain has taken time to learn the Dene language.

The troubled history of the Catholic church’s role in residential schools was on Jolibois’ mind this year, and she said she had a positive talk with the arch bishop about that touchy history.

“The issue around truth and reconciliation is very important to all of us and to the First Nations and Metis communities. My discussion with the bishop, he’s very supportive of reconciliation, he’s very supportive of communities healing and working together, and I respect his position,” she said.

Overall, her impression is “that Aboriginal spirituality is still well respected at the Catholic church.”

The Lac St. Anne events are wrapping up on Thursday, with campers heading home after the annual general meeting.