Hamilton sunrise ceremony honouring residential school victims attracts a crowd

When Angela DeMontigny was envisioning 'All Our Relations', a massive art piece located on the Hamilton harbour at the end of James Street North, she was imagining it as a focal point for gathering and a home for Indigenous ceremony.

And this morning, it was just that, as people gathered for a sunrise ceremony, marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, held just below the five 40-foot panels. 

"That was always the hope, and that it is actually happening is making me ridiculously happy," she said. "The intention was to have… a home; to have this space here to do [ceremony]."

DeMontigny's art piece, launched last year, consists of thousands of large, colourful glass beads representing traditional Indigenous teachings, the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address and Hamilton's biodiversity. Despite cloudy skies, the images slowly brightened as the sun rose at about 7:15 a.m. Monday morning, shining down on 100 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people taking part in the ceremony.

For DeMontigny, the event was an acknowledgement that we are all part of one "human family," and a step toward building better understanding between cultures.

"You are going to change things in this world," she told those gathered, many in orange shirts or jackets. "Let us all be ambassadors for peace."

Monday's early morning event, hosted by the City of Hamilton, was one of several being held throughout the region for the fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, dedicated to the memory of Indigenous children who died at residential schools, the survivors, their families and communities. 

More than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were forced to attend church-run, government-funded residential schools between the 1870s and 1997. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation estimates that more than 4,100 children died while attending the schools.

Also known as Orange Shirt Day, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation takes place annually on Sept. 30 and is a federal statutory holiday. Events are planned across the country to commemorate the event, including a ceremony in Ottawa on Monday afternoon.

At West Harbour, firekeeper Don McAulay led a pipe ceremony, which included prayer, sharing teachings and burning tobacco. He spoke about the importance of fostering love and community as a remedy for the mistakes of the past, noting many Indigenous people are still traumatized by the residential-school system, even those who are several generations removed from attending the institutions.

"There may be quite a few here that went through what [their parents] went through, because it was passed down," said McAulay, who described himself as a "helper to the spirits and helper to the people."

DeMontigny, who is Cree and Métis, said the sacred fire and pipe ceremony are ways to honour ancestors and residential school survivors. She said the fire draws in the creator and  helps people be more aware. "It opens their hearts and their spirits," she said.

As the event took place, it drew in numerous people who appeared to discover it on their morning walks, only to stay and become participants. The ceremony ended with most of those assembled taking turns putting tobacco into the fire.

"A sacred fire is very powerful and it does bring people together," DeMontigny said, adding it helps people "feel connected, not only to the world we live in, but to each other."