Sudbury high school marks day with 'Walk for Wenjack'
It was a moving and solemn morning outside St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School as more than 700 students made their way around the track for the 'Walk for Wenjack' on Thursday.
The annual Walk For Wenjack honours Chanie Wenjack, an Anishinaabe boy who died at age 12 while running away from his residential school near Redditt, Ont., and the thousands like him who never made it home.
The school held the event to mark the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
"To me, I was looking forward to this day but I also had my own heaviness that I would carry," said Indigenous support worker Shannon Agowissa. "Starting out and seeing all the students wearing the orange shirts really made a difference."
Agowissa worked with the school's administration to carry out the walk.
Class-by-class, students made their way outside where they learned about smudging and how the walk would work.
They followed their teachers around the track and stopped at various signs that raised awareness about residential schools. Afterward, students were given an orange ribbon to tie around the flag pole of an "Every Child Matters" flag.
"It's powerful and you want to make sure you're doing it right," Agowissa said.
"I want kids to see smudge and think 'oh okay, I know what that is,' and allow them to make the decision to smudge or say 'I don't need to,' to make this an everyday thing for them."
As an Indigenous woman, Agowissa said it was moving to see how students took the exercise seriously. She's hoping they all leave having learned something when the day is over.
"To see the moments... because kids are kids right? They want to play. They want to have fun. That's natural in them and respecting them as youths, but also you want them to ... we're going to take a moment here and respect the stories that we're hearing today," she added.
It was a similar feeling for Grade 10 student Destiny Nootchtai.
"I feel it's important because it's important for our school community to be involved in something like this," Nootchtai said. "A lot of them don't know what's going on today so I feel like Shannon's role is really important in what she's doing and how she teaches them."
She calls the walk a really good start for the school as it starts its journey toward truth and reconciliation.
"I hope students take knowledge, and respect, and kindness, and just learning lots of things. I think this is pretty great, it was a pretty great day, it was a good start," Nootchtai said.
St. Benedict is one of a few schools in the immediate area that have signed on to become a 'legacy school.' It's a commitment towards action and participating in the "Every Child Matters" initiative.
Legacy schools are part of a national initiative that was launched by the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund.
If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.