Indigenous women and children lift their voices on September 30 on Parliament Hill

The autumn sun shone bright and warm on the second National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Ottawa on September 30.  And for the second time, the Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada, a non-profit run by Indigenous women, organized the “Remember Me,”gathering on Parliament Hill. Anglicans were among the crowd of thousands, largely wearing orange in support of Orange Shirt Day; they heard inspiring words from Indigenous women as well as songs and prayers from Indigenous children from several communities. 

Thanking the many volunteers and donors who made the gathering possible, organizer Jenny  Šâwanohk Sutherland described the group’s original vision. 

“When we initially thought of this ceremony, we wanted it to be equivalent to Remembrance Day and the honouring of veterans. We’re here to honour and remember all of these children who we lost to the war against Indigenous people in the land.  And so we wanted to do our version of a moment of silence, but we are decolonializing it, and we’re using our drums and the sacred heartbeat that we share with each other and with our beautiful mother earth.”

Throughout the gathering, care and respect were shown to survivors of residential schools. The day included presentations of 40 eagle feathers.  

Algonquin Elder Claudette Commanda of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation welcomed everyone:

“Today is a day to honour, to remember all those children, our relatives who did not make it home, who continue to lie in those unmarked graves,” she said. “But it is also a day that we show them love. …

“It is a day to honour survivors. It’s a day to remember. It’s a day to reflect,” she said. “It is a day for you Canadians to listen, to learn, to understand, to have it in your heart and in your spirit to feel the beauty of Indigenous people, the strength and resilience of survivors, but to learn history…so take that truth, reflect on it and know that reconciliation is not only about Sept. 30, reconciliation is about learning about the impacts of colonization, the trauma of residential schools, day schools, child welfare system, murdered and missing Indigenous women, the loss of land and natural resources. 

“It also a time to remember that the First Peoples of this land … have been here since time immemorial, and we will continue to be here. And we have shared it with you, and we will continue to share. So, reflect on the truths, learn from the past, walk together in peace, understanding and healing, walk together on this journey called reconciliation. And the challenge I give each and every one of you is that every day is Sept. 30.”

Condoled Bear Clan Mother Louise McDonald Hearne of the Mohawk Nation Council. said,“It’s a painful day but we can take our pain and turn it into power for the future because I was thinking, ‘What will this look like in 10 years?” she said, adding that she was glad to see so many non-Indigenous people who were open to learning.

Struck by the power of their messages, the Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer, who was attending with some parishioners from St. John the Evangelist in Ottawa, told Crosstalk “the future of Canada is Indigenous women orators.”

Autumn Pelletier, who came to national and international attention as a young Indigenous girl speaking out about the need to protect water and ensure that Indigenous people have access to clean water, was the featured speaker. 

“The impact of the residential school system will forever be in our memory. The impact of Indigeous oppression will forever be in our memory. The impact of systemic racism of our people will also forever be in our memory….For many years, I have been considered to be the water protector or the water warrior, all starting at 8 years old, seeing post it notes in a washroom saying “Boil water advisory, do not use the water.” I couldn’t believe even at a young age that children knew that to be normal. … It shouldn’t be normal…”

Now that Pelletier is 18 and attending college in Ottawa, the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women has become all too real and close for her. “Just two weeks ago, a young Inuk girl from my college in Ottawa was murdered…for no reason. I fear any time I walk anywhere. The feeling is so unnerving,” she said. “The message surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous women is too often not national news. Systemic racism is left to be talked about on Facebook. This cannot continue as we continue to step forward and work towards real reconciliation…I never planned to spend my life doing this, but I am committed, and I want our people to have access to clean water. I would love collaboration and more actions taken toward these inequalities.“

The Indigenous Arts Collective of Canada collaborated with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which hosted a second event at LeBreton Flats in the afternoon. 

One of the elements of that ceremony was the unfurling of a 50-metre long banner listing the names of thousands of children whose deaths at residential schools across the country were recorded. There are still more to be found. 

And survivor Dennis Saddleman read his poem ‘Monster’ about his experience in a residential school. 

Šâwanohk Sutherland told Crosstalk that she was grateful that there could be a Sacred Fire at LeBreton Flats this year. Earlier in the day, survivors were given gift bags with tissues in them. Šâwanohk Sutherland said this should be an emotional day. She encouraged the survivors to take tissues that had dried their tears to the Sacred Fire. “ I think that is a very sacred way to honour the emotion and the needed release of this grief that we have been carrying for so long….”

Kimberly Johnson-Breen was at Parliament Hill with the Rev. Canon Gary van der Meer and other parishioners from St. John the Evangelist, Ottawa. She is of Cherokee heritage and moved to Ottawa from the U.S. Since joining the parish of St. John the Evangelist, she has begun offering a smudge before most services and sometimes drums.

Johnson-Breen said she was deeply moved seeing the red banner with the children’s names.

“It really brought home the genocide,” she said. She also heard Indigenous poet and residential school survivor Dennis Saddleman read his poem ‘Monster.’ “I had read that poem before, but it was so impactful hearing it from the author and seeing that there was forgiveness from Indigenous people too. …You can’t separate truth from reconciliation. There can be no reconciliation without coming to the truth of what happened.

Johnson-Breen said she was deeply moved by the afternoon’s ceremony and appreciated volunteers bringing a smudge to her.  “I was grateful to have someone there who recognized and understood that it was painful so that I could smudge. It was emotional for me, but it also had an element of hope.”