Indigenous walkers end their journey in Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie -

A trio of Indigenous walkers have ended their journey in Sault Ste. Marie.

Alan Harrington and his 13-year-old son Nation planned to walk from their settlement in Quebec, called Kanehsatake, to the former Shingwauk Residential School site in Sault Ste. Marie.

Before taking off, the pair were joined by supporter Jessica Dinovitzer.

"As we entered the parking lot, I just got all jitters," said Harrington. "Just crazy emotion coming up the hill because just seeing the school, it was intimidating."

The initiative aims to educate the public about the repercussions of Canada's residential school system. Even more personally for the Harringtons, it offered a chance to bond and heal.

Nation's maternal ancestors attended the Shingwauk residential school, while Alan said he was adopted as part of the '60s Scoop, a period between the 1950s and 1980s where an estimated 20,000 Indigenous children were taken from their families, given new names and placed with non-Indigenous families.

"The abuse, the intergenerational trauma from our family and his family's side, we can finally lay it to rest," said Harrington.

Jessica Dinovitzer has a similar story to Alan. She was adopted at an early age by a non-Indigenous family and only later in life discovered her ancestral roots.

"Something said I needed to go and join them, so I did," Dinovitzer said. "I've watched them both grow so much over this journey, it's been truly special."

She said the trek has given her a chance to reflect on her own history and learn about her culture. She's also aiming to pass that on to her son when she returns to her Ottawa home.

"No knowledge of language, no knowledge of culture, it ends here, our kids will have this knowledge."