'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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.