Fort Qu'Appelle high school students hold smudge walk to honour MMIWG

Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask. -

On Monday, students from Bert Fox Community High School led a smudge walk through Fort Qu’Appelle to bring awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

For the second year in a row, the school and community partners came together to honour the issue by having the walk.

Roughly 300 people took part in the two kilometre walk, eventually concluding at the Treaty Four Governance Centre.

Julie Stiglitz, the principal of Bert Fox Community School, said the topic is important to the student body and it is appropriate for the school to spend time exploring it.

“Our students today just aren’t students at Bert Fox, they are a part of a bigger community and I think that’s really important,” she said.

The chambers of the governance centre was used as both a stage for young singers and dancers to share their talents, as well as a classroom for elders to share their thoughts with the youth.

Karen Chicoose was in the audience and has a personal connection to the cause.

In 2022, her own niece went missing and was found dead a day later. The cases for the people charged in her death are still before the courts.

Chicoose said seeing the support of the community on such an important issue is moving.

“It’s really heartwarming to see all these people around us. We’ve all been affected by someone or something. I’m blessed I can be here and walk with these people,” she said.

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Safety was also another major discussion topic. Many of the speakers focused on the importance of being careful whether youth are out late at night or playing video games online.

“If they give out information and go on those chat lines, or connect with someone on technology today, that there are safety issues they need to be aware of,” Bec Poitras, the director of Restorative Justice at File Hiles Qu’Appelle Tribal Council, said.

Organizers said they are pleased with the feedback from students and feel the walk has had a positive impact.

Bert Fox Community High School said they plan to continue the walk for another two years.