The Northern Grandmothers Committee, part of the provincewide Grandmothers Protecting Our Children council, took part in their third annual awareness walk on Sept. 21 that started out at MacLean Park in Thompson.
The council was first started by mothers, grandmothers and other women who were concerned about violence in the homes and communities of aboriginal and other people in Manitoba. The group speaks out against such issues as sexual abuse, incest and violence perpetrated against children.
A sacred fire was lit in MacLean Park before the women set out on their walk and they also heard sacred drum songs and took part in a smudging ceremony.
Cynthia Lathlin, organizer of the event in Thompson, says the walk is all about creating awareness and bringing people together to support each other.
"There's so much violence in our communities, especially with women and children, and this walk is for the children, to honour our children and also calling grandmothers, mothers, aunties, sisters to come and walk with us and reclaim their roles, and also the grandfathers, fathers, brothers, uncles also to join us and walk and also reclaim their roles," she explains. "It takes a community to raise a child, and that's what we want to promote. We want to promote our culture also."
A 10-year-old girl named Charlette, who drummed at the ceremony, says she came to support her grandmother and help childrens' voices be heard.
"A lot of kids are joining gangs and people are not liking it," she says. "I want to drum for those kids that passed away and got abused."
The women took satchels of tobacco that was prayed over in a previous ceremony on a walk with them to remind them to keep children in their prayers as they walked.
