About 1,000 people were in attendance to acknowledge National Day for Truth & Reconciliation in Prince George on Friday at Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park from 2 to 3 p.m.
Kim Gouchie was master of ceremonies and sang a song of welcome after one minute of silence took place at 2:15 to honour and remember the 215 who were discovered in unmarked graves at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
Beloved Elder Darlene McIntosh offered a grounding ceremony, prayers and a warm welcome to those in attendance.
Residential school survivors and their families who wished to be drummed into the event were invited to do so and then they took to the stage to be honoured by the sea of orange-clad attendees.
Clifford Quaw, Lejac Residential School survivor talked about how he healed from the trauma of the abuse he experienced at the school, how he remembers how he and his school mates would walk around like emotionless zombies bereft of love and care, praying for more food and that the motto that was drummed into their heads was 'don't ask, don't tell'.
"Don't ask for anything because no one cared, and don't tell - don't ever talk about what happened to you at the school," Quaw said.
Bella Rain, a First Nations dancer who is 11 years old, danced to honour the survivors and then the event was closed as drummers were called to the front to sing songs, including the Grandmother's Song and the Warrior Women's Song.
Following the event at the park, residential school survivors and their families were invited to a healing ceremony at the House of Ancestors, followed by a meal shared by their community members.
