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By 
Healing Walk – In Memory & Justice for Chantel Moore
“We are medicine people, and we bring our medicine forward to heal us. The Sacred Fire has been lit in the Madawaska Wolastoqiyik Nation, and will remain lit until Chantel’s family arrives in New Brunswick, and we put her to rest.”
At this time, we call upon all Indigenous Peoples & Allies to walk in Ikatomone (eek-gut-moh-neh) for all Missing and Murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA. Chantel Moore died at the hands of the police only one day after the one-year anniversary of the National Inquiry of MMIWG Report. Below, you will find details for a unified, New Brunswick wide Healing Walk in memory and justice for Chantel Moore.
All are welcome, but we ask that you take careful consideration of the details described in the Healing Walk Protocol, and follow the protocols earnestly. We acknowledge Dr. Imeda Perley (Opolahsomuwehs) for the composition of this Healing Walk Protocol.
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Chantel Moore’s Healing Walk Protocols
Brothers and Sisters, Elders and Youth, let us join our heavy hearts, our furious minds, our gentle spirits to follow the ancient tracks of our people to stand up for justice, to sing our songs of healing, to invoke all our spirit helpers to guide us towards our peaceful perseverance during this tragedy and pandemic.
We will walk in both silence and chants to honour our emotions and heal both our historical and contemporary agony of injustice.
We will carry our gifts of language to bless our purpose and refrain from using profanity that does not belong to our language.
Our women will carry our gift of compassion in a bowl of water to be brought to a designated sacred place.
We will wear our ceremonial skirts and shirts to honour our nations colours and pride
Our voices will echo love not hate.
Our Smudging will help us to comply with our Wampum Laws of peace and to minimize displaying acts of anger that may disrespect our cause
Our Healing Walk should never be called a “protest”, this is not our traditional word, we instead use “Ikatomone”(eek-gut-moh-neh) which translates to “let’s guard” our way of life, our languages, our ceremonies, our rights to declare justice.
Our Sacred Drums will soothe our shared anguish as we converge our thoughts to healing Chantel’s family and her memory.
Our Sacred Pipes will invoke our power to connect to our ancestors who are walking with us within our DNA
Our Red Shawls will be a symbol for all MMIWG and their families.
Our Moccasins will allow us to walk with stamina a gift from our four legged relatives and mostly to leave our sacred tracks to honour those who went before us and to leave behind for those yet to be born!
Please keep in mind to follow our safety precautions of social distancing, hand sanitizing and wearing masks to remain safe from Covid-19.
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Regardless of race or background, we ask that you follow the protocol. The protocols keep us safe, and maintain our intention. We encourage you to remember Chantel in these ways:
– Wear gold and yellow. Chantel’s catchphrase was, “stay golden!”. We honour her by wearing gold and yellow.
– Wearing rainbows. Shortly after Chantel’s life was tragically lost at the hands of the police officer, a rainbow emerged in the sky.
– Wear your Indigenous regalia
– Bring your drums, shakers, art, and signs
– Show compassion, care, and courtesy in your expressions
When: June 13, 2020
Where: FREDERICTON, NB and CITY HALL – this will be where the march starts
Time: 1 PM
Route: We will march from City Hall to the Legislative Assembly Building by way of the walking trail along the Wolastoq River (off of Carleton Street) then returning to City Hall on the side walk.
We encourage you to invite your municipal and provincial representatives.
(Here is where you add the link for your city’s councillors. You should be able to find this info on the city website.)
We also invite you to attend our Sacred Fire in the Madawaska Wolastoqiyik Nation, and make an offering. The Sacred Fire for Chantel is located on 1755 Rue Principale (this is the main street on reserve), with plenty of parking.
