2 ways to mark Truth and Reconciliation Day

Penticton residents have two opportunities to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30.

The first is a five-kilometres Walk for the Children hosted by the Okanagan Nation Alliance. The trek departs from the Peach on the Beach in Penticton at 10 am.

Participants will make their way along the Okanagan River channel to the Syilx Indian Residential School Monument outside the Penticton Hatchery on En’owkin Trail on the Penticton Indian Reserve. The Penticton Indian Band will also be hosting a special event for Okanagan Nation members following the walk.

The second opportunity is a Celebration of Indigenous Culture and Resiliency in Gyro Park hosted by the Four Seasons Cultural Society. Supported by the City of Penticton, the event will feature Red Spotted Horse Drum Group, dance performances and an invitation for the public to join in a public round dance to honour survivors and those lost to Canada’s residential schools.

The event will run from 1-6 p.m. and also include vendors and arts and crafts.

Attendees are asked to wear orange shirts, bring lawn chairs and plan a picnic lunch.

The Four Seasons Cultural Society is also in the process of planning the 2023 Pow Wow Between the Lakes in Penticton – the fifth ever, but first since 2020 – and seeking volunteers and sponsors. For more information, contact organizer Kristine Jack at kristinejack@hotmail.com or call 250-4887199.

National Truth and Reconciliation Day is a statutory federal holiday declared in 2021 to honour victims, survivors and families of residential schools.