Indigenous cross-country motorcycle journey brings attention to Indian day schools

With the roar of four engines, the Treaty Freedom Riders sped out of Winnipeg Friday morning on a trip to draw attention to the plight of former Indian day school students.

The four Indigenous motorcyclists, including former Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs grand chief Derek Nepinak, are on a ride that will take them across the Prairies and over the mountains to Vancouver.

Lawyer and activist Joan Jack says the goal is to bring awareness to a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of former students.

Indigenous children who didn’t attend residential schools were still legally required to go to government-funded day schools starting in 1920.

They were not included under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement in 2006, but a lawsuit for day students was certified in July.

Jack says her goal is to let former students know their rights and how to navigate the legal system.

She says it’s a powerful image to see them on the motorcycles and it sends a message about how strong Indigenous people are. Indigenous lawyer and activist Joan Jack, shown leaving Winnipeg on Friday, July 20, 2018, is leading the Treaty Freedom Riders on a journey from Winnipeg to Vancouver to raise awareness around a class action lawsuit for former Indian day school students.