This morning amongst thousands of other drenched people, I found my self standing on Georgia Street, waiting for the Walk for Reconciliation to begin. The rain was relentless, but people had high spirits . It was the finale of Reconciliation week, a five-day event that’s purpose was to share experiences from the Indian residential school system, to form stronger bonds between Canadians and First Nations,Inuit, as well as Metis peoples, and most importantly to promote reconciliation between Aboriginal peoples and Canadians.

The reason behind Reconciliation Week and the Walk for Reconciliation dates all the way back to the 1870’s when in an attempt to assimilate ‘Indians’ into the dominant white culture, the Canadian government along with churches established Indian residential schools. These schools were ultimately created to destroy the culture of the First Nations peoples by “taking the Indian out of the child”, which as a result caused life shattering physical, and mental trauma that still impacts First Nations peoples today. For years the government tried to hide this appalling part of Canadian history, but finally on June 11 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the behalf of the Canadian Government to the former students of the residential schools. Soon after this apology former students sued the government, won the lawsuit and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was established to help people in the healing process as well as to educate the public on the truth of the residential schools.One of the ways the TRC works to help people reconcile with the effects of residential schools are events like the Walk for Reconciliation.

Before the walk there was  an opening ceremony, where there were many speakers such as Chief Joseph, TRC Commissioner Murray Sinclair and Dr. Bernice A. King (the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.). One of the speeches that stuck out for me was TRC comminsioner Murray Sinclair’s, who on the topic of the repercussions of residential schools said, “Its not an aboriginal problem but a Canadian problem.” This quote resonated with me. Growing up in North Vancouver, my high school was on the tradition lands of the Tsleil-waututh Nation, and as a result I was able to experience some of their tradition dances and ceremonies. We also learned extensively about First Nations people not only in BC, but Canada, and how residential school affected them. So when I heard him say, “… it’s a Canadian problem.” It really dawned on me that reconciliation needs to come from both parties.

As a white Canadian I feel ashamed of how my beloved country treated the first nations people and their beuitiful culture, but I found that the walk was the perfect way to be a part of the movement. Walking together in solidarity, Aboriginal peoples and Canadians together celebrating and paying repect to First Nations culture. The walk was a refreshing display of peace and respect. It was powerful seeing the thousands of people who came out despite the terrible weather. It was even more powerful experiencing everyone moving forward together; physically and emotionally.

One of the themes was ‘Namwayut’, meaning ‘we are all one’.  As beautiful as the saying is, at first it struck me as odd. Isn’t that what was so terrible about the residential schools? Trying to conform the Aboriginal people into one supreme white culture. But the meaning is anything but that. ‘We are all one’ is the bringing together of people from all different cultures to grow and heal together, which is exactly what the walk did. It brought people together.