'Honoring Our Children Journey' makes stop in Sudbury
Four females from a Saskatchewan First Nation passed through Sudbury on Sunday as they bike to Ottawa for their 'Honoring Our Children Journey.' They hope to arrive on Sept. 30 which is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
They are on the road raising awareness about residential schools and intergenerational trauma.
"Everyone needs to know that every child matters. So it's really important to me that everyone should know that and it can't be hidden and we can't be silenced," said Samara Linklater, a 16 year old making the journey.
Sunday marked day 56 on the road for the youth and three women ranging in ages from 8-41.
They left Pelican Narrows Saskatchewan Aug. 2 on route to Ottawa and are calling their trip "Honoring Our Children Journey."
"They went through so much at those schools. They lost their innocence they lost their cultures and their traditions," said ride organizer Veronique McCallum.
"They were forced to cut their hair which is sacred to our people. The braid is a meaning of our strength and our love and the trust and the honesty and the family."
Kori Bear, 8, said she hopes she gains some important qualities from the trip.
"I hope to accomplish strength, love.....trust," said Kori Bear.
On a stop over in the Sault the groups 2 bicycles were stolen.
"I felt really really bad and really sad because that one bike it made it all the way from Pelican Narrows and I really thought it was going to make it all the way to Ottawa," said 21-year-old rider Creedence McCallum.
The group said kind strangers donated money to replace the stolen bikes.
"It's been quite a journey. We have faced lots of obstacles but we kept going, kept praying and the right people come along like angels come along to help us when we least expect it," said Veronique McCallum.
When the group reaches Ottawa they hope to meet face to face with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and said they plan to ask some questions in the their Cree language.
You can follow the group's journey on their Facebook page.
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