Healing fire burning in Winnipeg to honour children found at former Kamloops residential school
A healing fire is now burning to honour the children whose remains were detected at a former residential school in Kamloops on Peguis First Nation land in Winnipeg.
It follows a previous fire at the legislative grounds in honour of those same children.
“We just felt that people are still feeling heavy hearted and that they need a place to be able to come say their prayers, put their tobacco in a fire, be eagle fanned down, ” said Eva Wilson-Fontaine, team lead of Anish Corporation.
Elder, health supports and information are also available.
The fire is hosted by the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program, which serves to survivors of Canada’s residential school system and 60s scoop survivors.
Wilson-Fontaine said the discovery of the children’s graves has taken people to a deeper healing, impacting Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.
“These little children, we always say they are our greatest teachers and this what these little children are teaching us. That we to start walking together,” said Wilson-Fontaine. “This is what reconciliation looks like. Being together, consoling one another, caring for one another, loving one another because we all the same.”
Packages of support resources available in the Winnipeg area are be available, with Fontaine saying it is important for people to reach out if they are struggling.
The fire, lit on Tuesday, will burn Tuesdays thorough Thursdays from noon to 8 p.m. for the next four weeks. It is located at 1075 Portage Avenue.
“This is a loss survivors and intergenerational survivors feel every day, and this is only the beginning,” said Wilson-Fontaine. “We know the remains of more children will be discovered, and this tragedy has triggered a new wave of grief and crisis in our people and in our communities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.