An emotional Tristen Durocher raises his hands to his supporters outside of the Regina Legislative Building. Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D'Andrea

Standing up for his people

Durocher’s fast ends, but his message will carry on

Sep 13, 2020 | 6:36 PM

REGINA—Tristen Durocher put himself through an awful lot.

He walked more than 635 kilometres from Air Ronge to set up a teepee across from Regina Legislative Building. He held his ground even while police and the Saskatchewan government went to the courts to try and remove him.

And he fasted for 44 days, one day for each of the 44 MLAs who voted against a suicide prevention bill earlier this year. Durocher ended that fast on Sunday with a public feast and ceremony.

The 24-year-old Métis man did all that for a simple reason—to push forward for those that are struggling, and for those that have lost a loved one to suicide.

“When I met a young boy who buried three of his best friends, and his father, and five people in his community, he said ‘I think it’s amazing you’ve walked all this way. You’re so strong.’ I looked at him and said, ‘you’re stronger.’ And I came here to show all the young people, our babies, just how strong they are,” Durocher said.

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As those hunger pains roared in his stomach, or a 5 a.m. visit from police woke him up at his teepee, Durocher thought about those who lost somebody they loved to suicide to keep moving forward.

“Every single mother I’ve met who’s had to bury their child, every single sister who had to bury their sisters. And every single child who looks up to me as I play music, as they dance, trying to find joy despite having to say goodbye to uncles and in some cases their fathers and some cases their mothers,” Durocher said. “They pushed me forward, because their strength, their resilience, and their capacity for courage and bravery eclipses whatever I’ve just done. All I did was meditate and not eat for 44 days.”

Tristen Durocher talks with his supporters. Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff

Durocher left Air Ronge at the beginning of July with nothing more than three friends, an old tent, and enough money to pay his bills for a month. He didn’t have a teepee, nor a van to keep camping supplies in. But Durocher received everything he needed from supporters across the country.

“Everything I needed was provided for every step of the way because I was walking for the right reasons,” Durocher said. “There’s no better people to fight for than our young people and the young people of this province. And that’s what we need to show our politicians.”

After the feast, Durocher got his braid cut off on the steps of the legislative building. He combined it with the braids of his supporters to fashion a noose and hung it on the door handles of the legislative assembly. Durocher then burned the noose in the fire of his teepee to conclude the ceremony.

“After walking 635 kilometres and fasting for 44 days and getting absolutely no action from our state and absolutely no acknowledgment of our existence here outside of minister Lori Carr coming to tell me she’s working on a court injunction for our removal from the park,” Durocher said. “It was an extreme disappointment and a beautiful illustration of the depth of their disgusting, criminally negligent indifference. That’s what that noose symbolized.

“The burning of it symbolized that we are done allowing our state halls of power to have heartlessness, contempt, and let it burn policies when it comes to the lethal realities taking place on Indigenous communities across the province.”

The injunction to remove Durocher failed, as Justice Graeme Mitchell ruled that Durocher was allowed to complete his ceremony. Mitchell attended the ceremony himself and was gifted a sash from Chris Merasty—who walked alongside Durocher.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW