Walk aims to build bridges
Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation is holding a Community Walk for Reconciliation that coincides with other events in Vancouver this week.
British Columbia Reconciliation Week gives survivors of residential schools opportunities to attend hearings, share experiences and participate in healing events. It started on Monday and runs to Sunday, September 22 at the Pacific National Exhibition.
On Sunday, the first National Walk for Reconciliation features keynote speaker, Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On the same day, Tla’amin’s community walk reflects its commitment to reconciliation. The walk places importance on respect for and appreciation of every culture’s diverse background. It works to strengthen understanding of the historical and cultural impacts that have shaped the experiences of aboriginal people across Canada.
Doors open at the Salish Centre at 9 am, with the walk scheduled to start at 10 am. A light lunch follows the walk.
BC’s government proclaimed this week Reconciliation Week to honour the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s events in Vancouver. The event, mandated as a result of the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, aims to raise awareness about Canada’s government-funded church-run residential schools, the last of which closed in 1996.
Many children who attended the schools experienced physical and sexual abuse, hunger, bullying and intimidation. Many died.
