Camper’s five-day trek to Regina Begins
Days after disassembling his teepee in Saskatoon’s Victoria Park to end the Healing Camp for Justice, Chris Martell began his five-day journey to Regina on foot Monday morning.
By the end of the day he had walked about 67 kilometres, hoping to raise funds for a healing camp planned for Aug. 22 to Oct. 22. He hopes to buy two or three teepees and some supplies, and set the remaining funds aside for cultural activities at the camp.
By noon on Tuesday, he had made it to Davidson, determined to reach Craik to end the day’s walk. On his feet were shoes he had already nearly destroyed by six walks in the past — including walks to Saskatchewan’s major cities and to the site of his son Evander Daniel’s grave in Sturgeon Lake. Evander died in a crowded foster home in 2010.
“I was going to use them again, but they’re too worn out. They wore out my feet yesterday,” he said.
The healing camp’s goal is to promote awareness about the effects of foster care and offer support to people who were once in the system. It’s also about showing support for the Justice for Our Stolen Children camp in Regina’s Wascana Park. The province has filed court documents asking a judge to grant an order for removal of the Regina camp.
A Gofundme campaign has been set up to raise funds for another healing camp, and a dinner is planned for July 29 at the Saskatoon Indian Metis Friendship Centre.
The next camp is timed to take place before winter hits, Martell said. In the future, he would like to hold another healing camp in Saskatoon, for a period of 60 days over July and August.
Martell wanted to hold the recent Healing Camp for Justice in Victoria Park for 60 days, but could only get a permit for 10 days. Other events were already planned to take place in the park.
He’s looking into holding the next camp at either St. Mary’s Wellness and Education Centre or Pleasant Hill Community School. It would be set up outdoors if permitted, with access to the gyms for healing circles indoors. A fellow walker is approaching the school board about it, he said.
Nearly 24 hours before, Martell had made it somewhere between Hanley and Dundurn with longtime friend Darla Fourstar following slowly in a vehicle.
“Our main vision is to help people with their trauma with, about or on foster care,” his friend Darla Fourstar, who was in foster care as a child, said on Monday.
A third friend is also along.
Fourstar said they’ve heard talk that others may join them.
“The more, the better. We take care of each other on our walks. Lots of water, make sure our feet are OK, our well-being. We also watch others’ well-being,” she said. On Tuesday, a fourth person, a local musician, joined them.
Fourstar said they are looking for change, to make sure children in care are not harmed. She wants to ensure parents can visit their children and kids are not kept in care longer than necessary.
She also wants social services staff to visit foster homes more often, she said.
“We want to see change, so we bring awareness in our walk. As we’re healing, we’re praying with sage and sweetgrass. We’re bringing awareness, we’re trying to tell people. We send out the message: bring our children home.”