Motorcyclists honour Indigenous children

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This article was published 28/06/2021 (1586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A group of approximately 100 motorcycle enthusiasts rode to Brandon from Winnipeg on Sunday to pay tribute to victims of the city’s historic residential school. 

Former residential school sites have gained greater attention in recent weeks after 215 unmarked graves were discovered in Kamloops, B.C.

This, in turn, helped draw people’s attention to what is now estimated to be more than 100 bodies buried in sites around the former Brandon Indian Residential School property.

After a Sioux Valley Dakota Nation drum group welcomed motorcyclists with an honour song, key organizer Bava Dhillon said the day’s effort was about paying their respects.

“It’s unfortunate these things are still happening in our world, to think it happened not that long ago, but we won’t forget — we definitely won’t forget.”

Dhillon, whose father is Sikh and mother is Cree, is a former councillor at Sapotaweyak Cree Nation.

He introduced the Winnipeg-based Royal Riders, a group of Sikh motorcycle enthusiasts who raise awareness for causes related to equality and multiculturalism and participated in Sunday’s ride.

Dhillon organized Sunday’s event alongside former Sioux Valley Dakota Nation chief Ken Whitecloud.

Prior to the motorcyclists’ arrival, Whitecloud said this was the fourth such ceremony he has helped host at the site. 

“It gets tougher each time. In fact, this morning I almost didn’t feel like doing it,” he said.

After a pause to collect his emotions, he added that events such as this are means of letting the children know they are both welcome and will never be forgotten.

“It’s a sad day, but it’s a beautiful day.”

Peguis First Nation Elder Raymond Mason and Former Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Derek Nepinak also spoke at Sunday’s gathering. Both of whom strove to lend context to their emotions.

When he first heard about the discovery of unmarked graves in Kamloops, Mason said he found himself crying out of both joy and sadness.

“Joyful because those children have been found, their voices can be heard now and they will receive their justice. And the sadness that I had was that those kids didn’t have a chance in this world.”

The realization of what took place at residential schools has filled a lot of people with anger and dysfunction, Nepinak said, adding this is going to be a long summer of recognition. 

“A long summer about realization about what this country has been built upon. It was built upon the genocide of Indigenous children, Indigenous families.

“We’re headed towards a new day, and I’m really honoured that people are stepping up and recognizing the need to stand in solidarity, so that we can carry and share the load of the difficulties that are upon us. Because the hundreds of children that have been found so far will turn into thousands in the coming weeks and months. Prepare yourself for that knowledge because things are going to get more difficult before they get better.”

The former residential school property was a popular destination during the weekend even apart from Sunday’s gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Prior to the motorcyclists’ arrival Sunday, a man on site who declined to share his name noted someone had stopped by earlier to pin a poem to a tree.

This poem, “For The Lost Children Part II,” credited to Marc Dorge, highlights the poet’s difficulty in expressing how he feels about the residential school system.

Another ceremony was held earlier in the day, and married couple Cheryl-Lynn and Darren Tremblay drove from Flin Flon to visit the site unaware anything was going on.

Cheryl-Lynn, originally from the unceded First Nations community of Wikwemikong, Ont., said they’d initially set their sights on visiting the residential school site in Kamloops.

Ongoing travel restrictions altered their plans toward tracking down the former Brandon Indian Residential School site, which Cheryl-Lynn said they were thankful to have done.

“I wanted to pay my respects and lay down my semma (tobacco) for children who have gone before us.”

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB