The Second Annual Walk to Honour our Ancestors is set to leave Little Pine First Nation Friday morning.
Once walkers leave the First Nation they will begin a 40 kilometer journey to the site of the former Delmas Residential School. Gavin Baptiste, who is helping to organize the walk, said they are expecting a good number of people to turnout.
“Last year we had quite a crowd and this year we’re expecting the same,” he said.
The former Delmas Residential School was open from 1901 until 1948, when the building burned down and was not rebuilt. There is currently only one living survivor from Little Pine who attended the school, she is not able to take part in the walk this year so her daughter will be walking on her behalf. Baptiste explained the walk aims to recognize and remember all those who attended the school.
“The walk is in honour of our people that went to school there and many of those people that didn’t come back home to the communities, not only for Little Pine, but other communities as well,” he said.
Walkers were set to depart at 8:30 a.m. from Little Pine Community Hall following a Pipe Ceremony. The walk is set to stop along the way to allow for people to eat lunch, walkers will also be escorted by RCMP and security along the route, which is 40 kilometers long. The walk is being organized by Little Pine Residential School Survivors Group, a grassroots group made up of members from Little Pine First Nation.
Baptiste also expressed his thanks to the walk’s chair Sonia Pete and co-chair Janelle Pewapsconias for their work putting the walk together.
“I’d like to thank the girls for organizing this and putting this thing together, hopefully one day we will meet and walk side by side with anybody,” he said.