Massive march in Shubenacadie held to honour residential school survivors

Hundreds gathered in Shubenacadie, N.S., Tuesday to take part in the "March for Survivors," honouring residential school survivors.

The starting point for the march was the Maritime's only residential school that existed until 1967.

Tara Lewis, the event's organizer, marched with her father, Elmer Lewis -- a residential school survivor who lived at the school seven decades ago when he was just five years old.

“I went here twice, first for five years,” said Elmer Lewis. “I went home for a year, and then I got out in 1962.”

Elmer Lewis believes in healing and the spirit of reconciliation, but says the memories of what he endured still linger.

“You were not allowed to feel, and you had no feeling for anything,” said Elmer Lewis. “Your feelings were beat out of you.”

Lewis said, as he processes the trauma from his childhood, he does so asking for one thing.

“Acknowledgement of what happened,” said Elmer Lewis.

As for the message Tara Lewis hopes others will take away from Tuesday's march, she said the themes are tied to her people’s history.

"In Kamloops, the discovery of 215 children -- that woke up a nation and my dad was fortunate to tell his stories. A lot of survivors don't necessarily share their stories because it's reliving their trauma and it's hard for others," said Tara Lewis. "But I believe that was part of my dad's healing and part of our healing."

 

“We are still here despite his trauma and his abuse, he made it so we have a better life. And I am here for it.”

There were intergenerational contributions that are also resonating on this day.

Landyn Toney joined the march last July. Landyn’s "Journey of Awareness" lasted six days and almost 200 kilometres. It was a remarkable effort for a 12-year-old boy.

“I can’t really put words to it, to be honest,” said his mother Marsha McClellan.” I love it that he is so cultural.”

For Elmer Lewis, National Indigenous Peoples Day stands for one overriding principle.

“Free at last and I always remembered June 21 as Freedom Day,” said Lewis.

A day of peace, healing, reconciliation and a day to march together, added Lewis.