The Walk of Sorrow, organized by the Indigenous Grassroots Circle (IGC), marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day on Tuesday, September 30, honouring victims and survivors of the Canadian residential school system. The commemorative event in Rockland also paid tribute to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG).
Catherine Villeneuve, the Mi’kmaq and Acadian IGC organizer, spoke to attendees about the significance of the Walk of Sorrow, which coincided with Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
“From 1831 to 1996, government-imposed and church-organized institutions in the form of residential schools, industrial schools, and industrial day schools were operated across Turtle Island (a term many Indigenous Peoples use to describe North America),” Villeneuve said. “In these institutions, children were forbidden to acknowledge their Indigenous heritage, culture, and language.”
According to Canadian Heritage, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation honours both the children who never returned home and the survivors of the residential school system, reminding Canadians that every child matters.
Villeneuve said, “Many were abused; physically, sexually, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. During that time, it is estimated that over 150,000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were forced to attend these institutions, many as young as four or five years old.”
“Today, we gather to respect all who were and continue to be adversely affected by colonization and residential schools.”
The Walk of Sorrow began at the intersection of Giroux and Laurier streets, with the procession walking silently across Highway 17 on Edwards Street to Parc du Moulin.
At the park, participants had the opportunity to participate in Indigenous ceremonies, music, dance, and educational workshops, closing the walk with reflection and community gathering.
Photos by Philip Oddi:
