A Journey For the Children of Residential Schools
By Ronnie Kayla Neiman
The discovery of unmarked graves at various sites across Canada that once belonged to the residential schools was a saddening discovery. Many children who were forced to go these schools and never came home and those who did come home were never the same. Some chose to remember and honor these children by lowering the Canadian flag to half-mast but it wasn’t enough. That action made it look as though it was only a passing thought in Canadians minds rather that a large part of Canadian history. Something else needed to be done in order to bring attention to these forgotten children. Something to honor the children and remember them.
A woman named Jasmine Lavallee became inspired to walk for the children of these residential schools. She is the niece of our own Brandon University Professor, Dr. Lorraine Mayer of the Native Studies department. Jasmine’s journey started with the 215 graves discovered in Kamloops, BC. Many of those graves belonged to children as young as three years old and many were unidentified and unmarked. A number of other unmarked gravesites were discovered across Canada, including a gravesite of more than 500 children was discovered in Saskatchewan. These discoveries upset and angered many, especially those of Indigenous descent. Jasmine was just as affected by it and decided that she wanted to do something. She writes, “It hit me hard, like so many others, I can’t shake this one off, it angered me, I hurt for these children. Then I was told to put my anger and frustration where it can count, where it can help, where it can make a difference.”
Jasmine started her journey in Winnipeg, at the Assiniboia Residential School on September 1, 2021. She hopes to gather 215 children’s moccasins to carry with her through the journey to Kamloops. The first pair pf moccasins gifted to her was a pair donated by the son of a survivor from Kamloops. She and her group of protectors have journeys from Winnipeg, to portage la Prairie, and to Brandon before they moved on. She has a group following her with a car to help make sure she stays safe on her journey.
In Brandon, they stopped at the Brandon Residential School site. The grounds of the former residential school were full of children’s toys, children’s shoes, orange ribbons, orange hearts, messages and prayers for the lost and for the survivors. Jasmine Levallee and her group, River, Deej and Virgil, with others joining at various points make it a point to stop at the residential schools, whether the building still stands or not. A few people joined them in Brandon at the site where prayers were offered and smudging of sage and drumming songs were performed to honor these lost children. One survivor of the Brandon Residential School came and told Jasmine and her group that she had attended and that one of her friends was one of the graves here in Brandon. Jasmine has encountered a few survivors and it is always emotional. She said that while many have questions, and many cry, there has been no negative reactions to her actions in honoring the lost children.
It is a sad reality that the residential schools are part of Canadian and American history, but it happened. Now the children who never came home are being rediscovered once again where they died. These children were once forgotten by many and now they are being found again. They should not be forgotten. Jasmine walks for these children because at a young age when was told she would not be able to walk herself. She overcame that difficult part of her life and walked. Now she walks for the children who never came home. She is undertaking a long and difficult journey but one she feels strongly connected to.
Jasmine also states that “If you want to help but can’t walk, I'm advised to ask for donation of any kind that can lighten the burden. Children's moccasins, cash donations, advice, and any help that you can offer. Anything really helps! Any and all money donations will be left to help with burials of deceased loved ones and or children of today, but I have to trust and know that all proceeds go towards children and not in the pocket of anyone out to only benefit themselves!”
Jasmine Levallee and her group have a Facebook group called 215+ children I Wanna Come Home. She posts with any new developments on her journey such as where they have stopped and performed ceremonies, to thank those who have donated time, money and food, and to thank those who journey with her, and to remind everyone that this is a journey for the children who never came home.
