Healing walk Saturday.
Community hopes to show support to Chantel Moore’s family
MEMBERTOU — A healing walk will take place in Membertou First Nation around noon on Saturday to help those affected by the police shooting death of Chantel Moore.
Organizers say this a way to unpack the trauma. “We carry so much historical trauma, it's in our DNA and we need to start healing that for us, our children and our future generations,” said Jane Meader, an organizer and part-time professor at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish.
She said anytime events like the shooting death of Moore happens, a lot of feelings can come bubbling up but it's important as Mi'kmaq to take time to heal.
Meader said she was very sad when she heard the details of the Moore case and thought of her two youngest daughters, ages 27 and 29.
“I couldn't even imagine how the parents must feel,” said Meader.
Moore was a Tla-o-quiaht First Nation woman who was shot and killed by Edmundston Police on June 5. The 26-year-old was a young mother who recently moved to New Brunswick from B.C. The police report she approached the officer with a knife during a wellness check. Now the incident is under review by a police watchdog from Quebec.
The case has sparked national attention and Meader said Indigenous people are trying to support the family. One organizer is in direct contact with Moore's family and relayed some of their requests — the family is asking that Moore's photo not be used during their healing walk, as per their culture, and that participants wear yellow, gold, rainbows or traditional regalia.
One of Moore's favourite sayings was, “Life is golden.”
“It's a walk of prayer,” said Meader.
Candice Sylliboy is the Nova Scotia Native Women Association Unama'ki off-reserve chapter president and helped organize Saturday's event.
Sylliboy said they are taking all necessary precautions to follow social distancing, they'll line up six feet apart and they're encouraging everyone to wear a mask and bring hand sanitizer. Sgt. Barry Gordon will be on hand to instruct the crowd about social distancing measures and safety protocols.
“This is a day of ceremony,” said Sylliboy.
The walk is open to the public but Sylliboy reiterated that the event is about praying and not protesting.
Meader teaches a course on historical trauma to master's students at St. FX and said every Canadian should do their part to learn the real history of Canada. She wants people to stop calling it Indigenous history because it's a part of the complete history of Canada.
Meader said there are four parts to reconciliation in Mi'kmaq ways of knowing — apology, restitution, forgiveness and reconciliation. She said Indigenous people are always expected to forgive but restitution must happen first and it's not always about money.
“It means for all of us to tell every single Canadian the real history of Canada,” said Meader.
The walk is to promote healing from that trauma.
“We can choose to walk in love or we can choose to walk in fear,” said Meader.