B`yauling Toni is biking to every former residential school site in Saskatchewan this summer. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

Reconciliation

Cyclist arrives in La Ronge to boost residential school awareness

Aug 13, 2021 | 5:04 PM

A 20-year-old cyclist from Saskatoon rolled into La Ronge this afternoon on a mission to visit every federally-recognized residential school site in Saskatchewan.

B’yauling Toni was greeted by supporters and an RCMP escort as he arrived on the outskirts of Air Ronge and made his way to the urban reserve, a former residential school location, in town. He left Saskatoon on Aug. 2 and has so far biked 1,800 kilometres and visited 12 of 20 sites.

Locations Toni have visited include Gordon’s Residential School, Muscowequan Residential School, Regina Industrial School, Lebret Industrial Residential School, File Hills Residential School, Cowessess Residential School, Round Lake Residential School, Crowstand Residential School, Cote Improved Federal Day School, Fort Pelly (St. Philip’s) Residential School, Guy Residential School and Lac La Ronge Residential School.

“I’ve been a cyclist all my life,” Toni said. “I love travelling on a bicycle. This is more of meaningful journey. Before this, I would just cycle for myself to do things. This is more to raise awareness.”

Toni believes now is an interesting time because more non-Indigenous Canadians are paying attention to Indigenous issues. As a non-Indigenous person himself, Toni said it’s important for him to be active in reconciliation and recognize the genocide that occurred in Canada.

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His journey is also about educating others about the impact on residential schools. Only through learning will non-Indigenous Peoples become more aware of certain issues and build empathy, Toni said.

Several residents welcomed B’yauling Toni to La Ronge. (Submitted photo/IvyLynn Bear)

“It should be on us. We are the ones who should be taking that first step,” he said. “It was white people who created the genocide, they are the ones who need to put their time in and move forward with this. For too long, Indigenous Peoples have just not been heard and not recognized.”

Toni plans to stay in La Ronge until Sunday when he will depart to Beauval. He expects to be back in Saskatoon by Aug. 25 and the last location on his list is Duck Lake.

Toni is also raising funds for the Orange Shirt Society.

“I have been able to contact ahead to almost every nation and ask permission before I enter and come onto their land,” Toni said. “They have been so welcoming and so generous. It has actually blown me away how generous and how welcoming the communities have been to me. It’s really heartwarming.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno