The Walk of Sorrow brings awareness, healing and hope
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY — The Walk of Sorrow walkers from Saskatchewan have been stopping at former Indian Residential School sites along their journey to Ottawa, where they plan to speak about the injustices done to Indigenous children and families.
“We stop at the residential school sites along the way and we stop at the different communities,” says Patricia Ballantyne, organizer of the Walk of Sorrow and a residential school survivor from Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. “When we are invited, we will go see Elders and we will do different ceremonies that they want to do with us. We did a sweat lodge along the way in Kenora and we do a smudge every day and we pray every day. We go and meet the people and the Elders and they always want to smudge us and fan us down through their protocols.”
The Walk of Sorrow walkers recently passed through Fort William territory and Red Rock Indian Band territory and are now walking along Hwy. 11 towards Ottawa.
“Whichever community invites us and puts us up, we will go in and stay with them,” Ballantyne says. “We do have our camping supplies and emergency food supplies in case we camp. But we’ve been lucky so far that we’ve been getting such tremendous support from the community leadership, Chiefs and Councils from the different communities, and they’ve been putting us up in their community centres or their halls or whatever accommodations they had.”
Ballantyne says they are looking to meet with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Families, Children and Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen when they arrive in Ottawa.
“The walk is in memory of the little ones that didn’t make it home from the residential schools, our ancestors and also the residential school survivors, Sixties Scoop, day schools and the foster care system and also the child and family services,” Ballantyne says. “I started the walk in Prince Albert on June 5. It’s been going good — we’ve been getting lots of support, both from First Nations and non-First Nations people.”
Anishinabek Nation leadership welcomes the Walk of Sorrow walkers as they pass through Anishinaabe territory.
“The Walk of Sorrow carries not only a message but the thoughts and words of thousands of survivors,” says Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Niganobe. “The walk also brings thoughts and observations of children of survivors, grandchildren of survivors, and those who continue to survive government interference in the child welfare system. It displays strength and fortitude for our people as we see them on this arduous journey; a message that Prime Minister Trudeau, Minister Bennett, and Minister Miller can undoubtedly hear and act upon once they arrive in Ottawa to meet with them. They walk a road to true reconciliation built upon the support of Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island.”
Ballantyne says many people have stopped to talk with them about the Walk of Sorrow.
“I’d like to say thank you to all the non-First Nations people that have stopped and talked to us and asked us about the walk and wanting to learn more about residential school and how the intergenerational trauma has affected all of us [Indigenous] people,” Ballantyne says.
Ballantyne says the Walk of Sorrow currently has 16 participants and six vehicles, including a truck and trailer where they prepare food for the walkers along the route.
“We do a relay-style of five kilometres each so we don’t get sick, we don’t get tired, and we don’t hurt ourselves,” Ballantyne says. “It actually hasn’t been that bad — the wind has been very nice to us on the highway here and even with the heat we drink lots and lots of water. We’ve been wearing our caps and that so it hasn’t been really too difficult yet.”
Ballantyne says half of the walkers are residential school survivors and the other half have parents or grandparents who were forced to attend residential school.
“There’s a lot of stories that were told to us along the way by the Elders that they haven’t shared, so this healing walk is doing wonders for the Elders,” Ballantyne says. “It’s giving them hope that things can change and things are going to change.”
Information and updates about the Walk of Sorrow are available on their Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Walk of Sorrow is also accepting donations via their GoFundMe page to help cover costs of food, water and footwear that may be needed along the way.