Grandmothers Voice Marks Canada Day by Singing the children home

By: Laura Steiner

Grandmothers Voice helped Milton mark a very different Canada Day.  From 1-4 they hosted an afternoon of dancing, singing, and drumming at Country Heritage Park in order to sing the children home.

Canada has 139 Indian Residential schools located across the country, the last of which, closed in 1996. It’s believed that each one had graveyard attached. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission estimated over 3,000 children died at the institutions.  Ontario announced $10 million in funding in order to help searching the grounds the grounds of the former Residential Schools in the province.

Many wore orange shirts, a colour used to promote awareness of Indian Residential Schools.

“Even though we’re dancing and bringing the community together, this is also a chance for us to take a mirror to our face, and look at what kind of country we want to belong to, and what kind of country are we leaving them (children),”  Organizer Sherry Saevil said.

Some chose it as a time to spotlight on what’s gone wrong 

Dances included the Women’s dance:

To learn more about Grandmother’s Voice, visit their website

There is a crisis line available for Indian Residential School Survivors, and those affected by the ongoing coverage.  If you find yourself in crisis call:  1-866-925-4419.