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Walking in Sudbury to mark the discovery of unmarked graves in B.C.

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On Friday, there was a walk in Sudbury to remember the remains of 215 residential schoolchildren found in Kamloops, B.C., a year ago May 27.

It was organized by the N'Swakamok Friendship Centre in partnership with Laurentian University and the Greater Sudbury Police Service. More than 150 people took part.

The walk weaved its way through downtown Sudbury, over to the Bridge of Nations and ending at Bell Park.

Some residential school survivors took part in the walk.

"You definitely knew when someone was missing. It happened constantly and you were not allowed to talk about it," said survivor Carol Pitawanakwat.

"You were not allowed to ask the questions. You just lived with it. You lived in fear after that. You don't know what happened. You lived in fear because you might disappear yourself one day."

One survivor, who did not want to share his last name, was taken from his family at the age of eight.

"For me to come out alive, I am kinda lucky," Henry said.

"The beatings I went through and the sexual things that they done to me, it wasn't nice at all and I was full of hate when I came out of there."

Organizers of the event were pleased with the turnout.

"I am really happy (with) the amount of support (from) the community," said Jason Nakogee, walk organizer with the N'Swakamok Friendship Centre.

"I was going to make this walk all by myself and I decided, why? … If there is going to be more awareness, more people need to get involved, and it just grew like wildfire." 

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