The 7 Generations Steward Society had a surprise during a small ceremony they held last week to commemorate the 215 children found buried at the Kamloops Residential School.
害羞草研究所淭here was an ceremony downtown, but because it was during the day, a lot of people had to miss it,害羞草研究所� said Cory Cliffe, founder of the society. 害羞草研究所淚 talked to the board of directors with 7 Generations Steward Society and we agreed that something needed to happen down at the Spit. It didn害羞草研究所檛 need to be huge, but something needed to happen.害羞草研究所�
The 7 Generation Steward Society was started by Cliffe earlier this year to help build the next generation of Indigenous environmental stewards, providing them with cultural and scientific knowledge to build a sense of ancestral responsibility and environmental protection.
The society organized a group of seven people, five singers and two youth, to hold a small ceremony in memory of those 215 children at Tyee Spit in Campbell River. They were joined by a crowd of people wishing to pay their respects and two Hereditary Chiefs. The singing started with a traditional prayer song, before going into a paddle song.
害羞草研究所淭owards the end of the paddle song, somebody in the crowd started making the body motion of the killer whale. We thought that they were just feeling the spirit, but the next thing you know people were pulling out their cameras and going 害羞草研究所楬oly cow, look at that!害羞草研究所� We turned around and there were killer whales coming towards us,害羞草研究所� Cliffe said.
害羞草研究所淚t was a beautiful thing. We went right into a celebration song with a bit of a faster beat and they came in right close to the shoreline and passed right behind us,害羞草研究所� he added.
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Cliffe said that he had spoken afterwards with some Elders and Chiefs, who requested the story be told, saying: 害羞草研究所淒uring the time of the great sickness, seven Kwakwaka始wakw men stood on the shores of the Laichwiltach and sang praise to 215 children that were taken by residential school. During that time, our ancestors came in the form of the Killer Whale to carry that message across to the spirit world.害羞草研究所�
To Cliffe, the ancestors coming in the form of killer whales told him that he and the 7 Generation Steward Society were doing the right thing.
害羞草研究所淣aturally, I was really nervous leading up to it and I was kind of wondering 害羞草研究所榓m I doing this appropriately?害羞草研究所� Once we害羞草研究所檇 seen the Killer Whales coming through, personally I felt a feeling of relief because our ancestors wouldn害羞草研究所檛 appear if we weren害羞草研究所檛 doing things in a good way,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hat was really inspiring for me to see. It害羞草研究所檚 really motivational when things like that happen because we know that we害羞草研究所檙e on the right track to tracking down who we were and representing our people as we are now.害羞草研究所�
Cliffe hopes to continue connecting with the community, especially with the possibility of more children being found at residential school site across the country.
害羞草研究所淔or the next 10 years here in Canada I think that almost monthly we害羞草研究所檙e going to be going through this same feeling of loss as more of these residential schools are hit with the ground penetrating radar,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 going to be a lot of pain. I害羞草研究所檓 glad that 7 Generation Steward Society had its beginning when it did. There害羞草研究所檚 going to be a lot of work to do in the community to help people heal. It害羞草研究所檚 a great opportunity to do some cultural sensitivity training.害羞草研究所�
National Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419.
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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com
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