For the second straight year, a powwow is being hosted to honour the 35 unnamed children buried in a makeshift gave at the Regina Indian Industrial School.
“As we heal and get stronger as Treaty People, we must assure the spiritual healing is a part of our moving forward. With the gathering, ceremony, and celebration, it is to bring Regina and the powwow family together to heal and move forward together” said organizer Glenn Pelletier.
Adjacent to where the former school site is, is a cemetery of the unmarked remains of 35 First Nations and Métis children from across the prairies who attended the school between 1891 and 1910.
Pelletier says the powwow is to raise awareness and to bring recognition to the unnamed children.
A commemorative walk is also planned to begin at the First Nations Industrial School Cemetery and proceeding to the Cowessess Gas and Grocery on the southeast side of Regina.
“The gravesite has spirits and the purpose of the walk is to walk the spirits to the powwow ceremony so they can dance through song and prayer, and flow onto the happy hunting grounds. It is a healing process to the unmarked gravesites” explained Cowessess First Nation Chief Delorme.
The children buried will be permanently remembered as the Regina Indian Industrial School Association and others have been lobbying for years to get the site on Pinkie Road in northwest Regina to be a heritage site. The group now owns the land following a land swap in July.
The walk will begin at 9:00 am. The Powwow Grand Entry will begin at 1:00pm.
(Photo: A recent powwow. MBC file.)