A northern Saskatchewan Métis youth shared his story at this past weekend’s IndSpire awards.
Tristen Durocher, from Buffalo Narrows, was a youth recipient of a 2022 award.
Durocher was recognized for the Walking With Angels campaign used to raise awareness for northern youth suicide.
As part of the campaign, Durocher would walk 635 km from Air Ronge to Saskatchewan’s legislature building in the summer of 2020. The northern Métis youth would then set up a teepee for a 44 day ceremonial fast outside the legislative building urging the provincial government to adopt a bill that would address the issue of northern youth suicides. The bill was eventually passed in 2021.
During his appearance on the 2022 IndSpire awards, Durocher spoke on his connection with the fiddle as a part of where he draws inspiration.
“The fiddle gives you an emotional vocabulary as a young person when I was unable to express what I was feeling or going through,” said Durocher on the IndSpire broadcast on both APTN and CBC.
Durocher then touched on the discouraging number of northern youth suicides in 2015 that would spark his campaign.
He also spoke on why he chose the name Walking With Angels.
“To me an angel is someone who goes out of their way to help another individual in a time of grief or a time of need. It was for the families and the people left behind,” he said.
Indigenous people across the country shared their stories of success and triumph during Sunday’s awards show.
2022 marks the 29th year of the annual Indspire awards.