Community mourns at PAGC vigil; call for cancellation of Canada Day celebrations.

“Within a couple of hours of hearing about the 215 [children in B.C. in May] , something was in the works,” Sheryl Kimbley, PAGC events coordinator told media gathered for the event. “I think people were waiting for a direction on what the executive were going to do, what were the chiefs going to do, and how were we going to work through this, and help people. It’s always been in the works.”

Kimbley added the event had an extra meaning for the roughly 100 residents in attendance.

About 100 people were in attendance for the vigil at city hall on Tuesday night. (Dawson Thompson/paNOW Staff)

“Healing, exactly. We need help to get through the next part as more bodies are found,” Kimbley said.

While happy to see the many faces in the crowd, Kimbley was not surprised to see the support.

“Prince Albert has always been a leader in opening up and learning to accept each other when things like this happen. Not only am I not surprised, but my heart is also touched.”

‘Speaking out from the grave’

During the vigil there was dancing, drumming, speeches from residential school survivors and members of the PAGC, and smudging from an Elder.

Members of the Round Plain Jr’s sign and dance during the smudging on Tuesday night. (Dawson Thompson/paNOW Staff)

PAGC vice chief Christopher Jobb was very emotional when he spoke.

“The children are speaking out from those graves, they want to come home,” Jobb said. “Every one of us here has a story to tell.

“If we are going to heal, as my grand chief said, we need to unify,” he said, echoing earlier words from Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte.

The vigil began with singing from the Round Plain Jr’s. (Dawson Thompson/paNOW Staff)

‘There are reasons people are the way they are’

For one family at the vigil the event was not only about mourning, but learning as well.

“I brought my girls because their grandmother is a survivor,” the lady told paNOW as they listened to the speeches. “She went to St. Michael’s, and she was beat a lot. She was in the nun chamber, and she was coming to, from a licking. They noticed her, stirring. The next thing she remembers is them walking towards her, to be knocked out again.

“I think the youth have to learn exactly what happened. There are reasons why people are the way they are today, because of those schools. They have to know the impact about what happened, and not just try to sweep it under the rug because that is what the government is trying to do.”

Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte spoke about the importance of truth when it comes to reconciliation, Tuesday night at the vigil. (Dawson Thompson/paNOW Staff)

Call to cancel Canada Day celebrations

Following the gathering the PAGC issued a media release calling on the public to set aside celebrations on July 1.

“In an act of solidarity, we are asking our fellow Canadians to refrain from engaging in any celebratory events after the recent discoveries of children at burial sites at Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and Cowessess First Nations. This is the time we need to step back and think about the colonial history of Canada, and how the residential schools were one of many attempts at genocide and innumerable injustices experienced by our people,” said Grand Chief Hardlotte.

“The discovery of the mass graves is a reminder that we need to honour the children who never came home, and this is the time to rethink the damaging effects of the residential schools. Instead of joining in the festivities, we are urging our fellow Canadians to spend this day learning about the truth of these injustices, and to think about what is needed for us to promote healing. Let these events move us on a path toward reconciliation and be the impetus for true, lasting, meaningful change,” Hardlotte stated.

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Dawson.thompson@pattisonmedia.com

On twitter: dawsonthompson8

by Dawson Thompson

Community mourns at PAGC vigil; call for cancellation of Canada Day celebrations.

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