By Stephanie Froese

PA area runs to peace

Jun 14, 2011 | 12:24 PM

When connections between the north and the south are brought back there will truly be peace, said Hector Cerda.

He is an organizer with Peace and Dignity Journeys who came to Prince Albert from Fresno, California to help organizers host an event here.

Starting at the Bernice Sayese Centre in Prince Albert on Monday runners have started a journey to Saskatoon that will finishing in Brandon Manitoba. About 200 students in Prince Albert joined the run during the city leg.

In the past these runs have taken place all over Canada, the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and central and South America.

“Every journey we talk about this, about the peace that is achievable through sharing song dance and culture that has been happening these last few days,” Cerda said.

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Runners are carrying special staffs that have come from various communities involved in the peace journey.

Mayor Jim Scarrow said Prince Albert will be preparing a staff to add to the collection.

“Councilor Cheryl Ring, who is an outstanding artist, is going to design one basically I think with materials from northern Saskatchewan,” Scarrow said.

Every four years an intercontinental Peace and Dignity Journey takes place. The next one in 2012 will see runners start in Alaska and make their way to the Panama Canal. At the same time a group of runners from the tip of Argentina will make their way towards the northern group. It’s a symbol of reconciliation between all people.

The Prince Albert staff that will be added to the collection will be used in the international run.
Senator Sol Sanderson is a Former FSIN Chief. He said the ceremonies before the run started have been very meaningful. He said Peace and Dignity Journey is to promoting peace between all life forms.

“You hear our elders pray. They pray for all our relatives. That’s not just my cousin, my aunt, my uncle. That’s all life forms that they’re talking about and that they’re praying for and that’s what the movements all about,” Sanderson said.

Cerda said a movement to create peace between different groups is kept alive by journeys like the one from Prince Albert.

“As younger generations of First Nation people we want to see healing within our hemisphere. We know that there is a lot of suffering and undue hardship that is happening among all people, all human beings.”

sfroese@panow.com