Hay River has joined communities across Canada in trying to come to grips with the tragic discovery of the remains of 215 young people at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

Among a number of remembrance events in Hay River was a smudging ceremony and prayer song at Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre on June 4.

Sharon Caudron helped perform the smudging ceremony, which was attended by about 50 people.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a cleansing ceremony,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 to remove all the negative things that might be stuck to you or hanging on to you, to help you have fresh eyes and fresh ears and just to connect yourself back to your heart again.SA国际影视传媒�

Caudron believes the smudging ceremony was important for Hay River because of the devastating news from Kamloops.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou think about the ancestors and now weSA国际影视传媒檙e talking about little small ones,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hose are dear to anybodySA国际影视传媒檚 heart.SA国际影视传媒�

Caudron noted the discovery in Kamloops is affecting people all across the land.

She performed the smudging ceremony with her fan made of eagle feathers.

After the ceremony, people gathered outside Soaring Eagle Friendship Centre to listen to drumming and a prayer song by Roy Fabian and Frank Fabian from KSA国际影视传媒檃tlodeeche First Nation (KFN).

Prior to the drumming, Roy Fabian, a former chief of KFN, called for more investigations at the sites of former residential schools across Canada.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had a residential school over on the reserve and that needs to be done here, as well,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Fabian also reflected on the effects of colonization.

SA国际影视传媒淎s Indigenous people, we suffer a lot because of colonization,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淧eople didnSA国际影视传媒檛 believe we were human. And so in that light they did some very atrocious things.SA国际影视传媒�

The former chief noted that Indigenous people are still suffering across Canada, pointing to foster care, alcohol and drug abuse, and missing and murdered women and girls.

Many of the problems are the result of residential schools, he said. SA国际影视传媒淎nd we need to think about all those things.SA国际影视传媒�

Dene people have their own ways of healing, Fabian said. SA国际影视传媒淎nd I think this is a really good opportunity for us as Dene people today to take a look at our healing process that our people used to carry out.SA国际影视传媒�

Fabian called for healing to start.

SA国际影视传媒淭his healing needs to begin here in this community,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淣ot somewhere else. Not in Kamloops or in Ottawa. Here, right here. We need it to happen right here.SA国际影视传媒�