Jasperites came together with members of the Kelly Lake Cree Nation on Tuesday, September 30. 

National Truth and Reconciliation Day recognizes the atrocities and multi-generational effects of the Canadian Indian residential school system. This year, after rain dampened planned outside activities, the Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada co-hosted the community event at the Jasper Activity Centre.

Shelley Calliou, a researcher and cultural advisor with the Kelly Lake Cree Nation, spoke to those gathered about the idea of Wahkotowin, a central Cree concept meaning kinship, relatedness, or the interconnectedness of all things.

“It’s nature’s law,” Calliou said. “We live by the seasons and in relation to the land.”

Gesturing to her surroundings, Calliou said that Indigenous ceremonies were often held in the mountains. 

“As long as the mountains are here, as long as the rivers flow, the connections to the land are forever,” she said.

To Calliou, National Truth and Reconcilation Day is a way for Indigenous Peoples to reclaim their voice and tell their stories.

For generations, speaking the truth about how Indigenous families were robbed of their children by the Canadian government was not allowed. Even in her community, the horrors of residential and day schools were unspoken.

“They were never spoken of. But these things happened,” she said.

And those traumas still exist. By teaching Canadians about them, Calliou said there is a path forward. Today she represents her community on the Jasper Indigenous Forum, but more than a century ago Calliou’s people were displaced from the lands known as Jasper National Park. Her maternal great-grandfather, Adam Joachim, is one of many ancestors buried in the area.

Calliou said she considers it a great privilege to share the stories of her elders with others.

“As long as we’re speaking our language, living our culture, doing ceremonies and teaching the next generations, we’ll continue to thrive,” she said.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com