B’yauling Toni, centre, was welcomed by the Prince Albert Grand Council Monday morning. (Rob Mahon/paNOW Staff)

By Teena Monteleone

Healing journey

Young cyclist wrapping up a journey of reconciliation across Sask.

Aug 23, 2021 | 3:47 PM

A Saskatoon cyclist has travelled more than 2,800 kilometres as he makes his way to every federally-recognized residential school site in Saskatchewan.

B’yauling Toni arrived at the Prince Albert Grand Council site Monday morning, the 18^th stop on his journey.

“It’s been a lot of learning,” he told paNOW, “The stories are heartbreaking but I’m thankful that I’m able to come and learn and continue to learn because I think that awareness is so important.”

Toni is non-Indigenous and said that’s part of the reason he wanted to do this.

“It’s hard to open that conversation with non-Indigenous people. No one wants to talk about it, but it’s so important to build that empathy and that understanding in order to facilitate healing,” Toni said.

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By the time he is done, B’yauling Toni, far right, will have cycled more than 3,000 kilometres across Saskatchewan. (Rob Mahon/paNOW Staff)

He spoke about an impactful moment during his very first stop on the tour when an elder showed him a teepee.

“It was a story of the Indigenous journey through colonization, and he shared with me that journey through residential schools and how it is a circle and how the healing journey has to come around. We need now to build and heal and be here for Indigenous people so they can come back to where they were.”

Toni started his trip on Aug. 2 by visiting the residential school site in Punnichy. Along the way, he has been raising money for the Orange Shirt Society and has also delivered a pair of infant moccasins to each location in memoriam of the children who lost their lives there.

Penny Constant is the associate health director for the Prince Albert Grand Council and said she was impressed by Toni who she called a ‘very respectful and humble young man.’

“I thought he was First Nations so it was more profound when I found out he wasn’t Indigenous,” Constant said. “Just hearing that was hopeful that we can have more non-Indigenous people who acknowledge that reconciliation needs to occur and before that reconciliation can happen, the truth needs to come out and I’m hopeful that society is recognizing now that there is truth to the impacts of the residential school and continues to impact the Indigenous population and we all need to heal together.

“He’s going to be a great example for many to follow,” she said.

To complete his journey in the coming days, Toni will stop at the residential school sites at Duck Lake and Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation before returning to his home in Saskatoon.

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teena.monteleone@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertNOW