‘THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO SHOW EVERYBODY WE’RE TRYING’
When the final teepee came down, it was an understated affair. The Justice for Our Stolen Children camp, which occupied Regina’s Wascana Centre — and Saskatchewan headlines — for nearly 200 days, was dismantled Sept. 12. As campers packed up the last of their belongings, there was no media circus. There was no legion of supporters in attendance, just a select few protesters who endured the solemn task of tearing down the structure that embodied their struggle. Some chose to share their thoughts with Postmedia photojournalist Brandon Harder, as he documented the event with his camera.
Ronald Elliott Okanese First Nation
“It brings the issues hidden by the government right out in front of everybody’s faces. It’s really about awareness.
Our people can’t get better until everybody knows about this stuff, right? Because nobody knows why we’re all so lost.
This is the best way to show everybody that we’re trying.”
Prescott Demas Canupawakpa Dakota First Nation
“To me, it’s the importance of having people stand up and to voice the changes that have to come to the system. Especially, systemic issues that affect Indigenous people. It took high-profile crimes to bring that out. We were here creating that awareness. I’m happy that we did that. Now we move on to the next steps and that is dealing with the issues, or coming forward with the issues that we’ve been talking about. And there is still a lot of people that need to know, need to understand, because there still is a lot of hatred out there right now.
This has a lot to do with Indigenous people reclaiming their own rights. It’s a look at the government for regular people. It’s an awakening, especially because Canada, throughout its 151 years, has done all it can to hide that treatment of its Indigenous population, tried to hide those things. But now they’re coming to light. I just think that it’s the first step in something that’s a lot bigger to come.”
Richelle Dubois Pasqua First Nation
“It’s been my heart, and just like the sacred fire, it’s been burning. It’s good. Everything will be good. There’s a silver lining to everything. I’m absorbing and smiling and thinking of another day. Tomorrow is always another day, you get another day of life. So, (I’m) being grateful for the life that I have and the people that are around.”
Chris Kortright
“It’s an important part of a general struggle for people’s liberation. I’m here defending my friends and family and fighting for their children. I mean, I’m a settler and my liberation is tied to everybody’s liberation. Indigenous liberation is central to liberation of all peoples in North America.”
Del Crowe Piapot First Nation
“I’m a residential school survivor. I’m just hoping that the premier holds his promise.
He said he’s not going to talk to the camp … unless we quit breaking the law. Well, the law has stopped being broken now, so it’s time for Premier Moe to talk to the campers.”
Micheal Shepherd White Bear First Nations
“It meant a lot. It meant that the missing murdered women and the babies that were killed, they had no voice, no one stood up for them — I stood up for them and stand for them still.
We brought unity into our community and we’re going to continue on standing together and spreading awareness.”
Soo Lee Papequash Piapot First Nation
“You know, there’s no one word that can actually sum it up. There’s so much that I could say about it. But most of all, it’s given me hope. It’s given me a tremendous amount of hope.
And I’m not alone. Being here, it has actually opened my eyes to a lot of things that can possibly be done.”
Robyn Pitawanakwat Whitefish River First Nation
“What’s it’s meant for me is the building of community, the creation of extended family, where we work through the minute details of a day with cooking and cleaning to the bigger issues of needing to see systemic change happen.
We do a lot here together, or we have done a lot here together. We’ve helped each other parent, we’ve helped each other through grieving the loss of loved ones and we’ve shared in the joy and celebration in the good times.
For me, this is the beginning of something better, of a stronger community and the calling for the systemic change that we need here in the province.”