There have been many people walking the streets in Yorkton recently. The Colten Boushie verdict in North Battleford showed division within the province between First Nations and non-First Nations people, and protests began, highlighting the division between people in the community. The most recent walk, a Peace Walk hosted by the Yorkton Tribal Council, aims to do the opposite, and heal the wounds in the city.
People walked down Broadway holding signs saying things like “Peace,” “Respect,” and “Hope.”
Isabel O’Soup, Tribal Chief for the Yorkton Tribal Council, explains that the goal of the walk was to bring people together, rebuild community and highlight the need for equality, especially within the justice system.
“We want some awareness. Let’s all work together. In the end... We all live in the same country, we all want to be treated just fair and equal, that’s all. We don’t want to do it in a destructive, violent way. We want us all to get along.”
The walk brought out representation from city council, the Yorkton RCMP, and Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit.
The Yorkton Tribal Council also hosted a feast and round dance later in the evening at the Painted Hand Casino. At the event, it was explained that the round dance is often a way to bring people together to heal, and their goal is to have the community heal together.
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