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10TuesdayApril22013WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.isalovelyyoungfemalecat.Sheisalwaysplayfulandhertastefulgreyandwhitecoatisenoughtokeepyouwarmduringthelongwinterseason.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.JourneyoftheNishiyuuculminatesonParliamentHillYouthtrek1500kmtoOttawatodefendindigenousrightsByDAVIDKOCHTheresnowordstode-scribethewayIfeelDavidKawapitsaidtothemassivecrowdgatheredonParliamentHilllastMondaycelebratingtheendofthe1500-kmJour-neyoftheNishiyuuinsupportoftheIdleNoMoremove-mentforindigenousrights.Thewalkwasoverbutitwasonlythebeginningofabiggerjourneyforunityandrenewedstrengthamongin-digenouspeopleacrossthecountryKawapitsuggested.Thisisnottheendhesaidthroughboomingloud-speakersonthefrontlawnofParliament.Thiswillcontinue.KawapitwasoneofsixyoungmenwhosetoutwithaguidefromtheircoastalvillageofWhapmagoostuionHudsonsBayinJanu-arycrossingavastexpanseoffrozenlakesandsnow.Inmid-MarchwhentheyreachedKitiganZibi-anAlgonquincommunitytwohoursnorthofOttawabycar-thesevenoriginalwalkershadbeenjoinedbymorethan200supportersfromdiffer-entnationsincludingCreeInuitandAlgonquin.ThesoundofceremonialdrumsandthesmellofsagewereintheairasafeastbeganintheauditoriumoftheKitiganZibischooltohonourthewalkers.Kawapitsittingcross-leggedintheauditoriumhall-waysaidhecameupwiththeideaasashowofsupportforChiefTheresaSpencewhocarriedoutasix-weekhun-gerstrikeonVictoriaIslandnearParliamentHillinDe-cemberandJanuarytoprotestallegedinfringementsbythefederalgovernmentontreatyandAboriginalrights.IwaswonderinghowIcouldhelpoutandcontributetotheIdleNoMoremovementsothatswhenIdecidedtogoonajourneyKawapitsaid.Solidarityamongindig-enouspeoplewasadrivingforceforthewalkerssaidKawapitwhoishalf-Creeandhalf-Inuit.Hecomparedthepowerofonepersontoasinglestrawofgrass.Aloneitsreallyeasytoripoffbutwhenyougrababunchofthemitsprettymuchimpossibleforoneper-sontoripthataparthesaid.ThedesiretoprotectlandandtraditionsisanothersourceofmotivationforthewalkersKawapitsaid.Thejourneywhichtracedthecustomarytraderoutebe-tweentheCreeAlgonquinandMohawknationswaspartofaneffortamongtheyoungmentoreconnectwiththeirroots.Hedescribedtherevivalofancientcustomsasthegreattaskofhisgenerationaftercenturiesofcolonialism.Thepointofcolonizingisyougetridoftheotherpeo-plestraditionsoryougetridofthempermanentlyhesaid.Thatnearlydestroyedusbutwerecomingbackstrong.Hesaidmanytroubledin-digenousyouthhaveben-etedfromjoiningthewalkorwatchingitsprogress-in-cludingKawapithimselfwhohasstruggledwithanxietyanddepression.Ihaventthoughtaboutsui-cidesincewebeganhesaid.Myfamilysproudofme.IncommunitiesalongtheroadtoOttawacoordina-torswerebusyoverthelastthreemonthshelpingyoungpeopleraisemoneyforpro-visionsandtoprepareforthejourney.VanessaSharlaCreeyouthworkerfromChibougamau-atownincentralQuebec-helpedget11peoplefromhercommu-nityinvolvedinthetrek.Itsagoodexperienceandyougettomeetalotofpeopleandyouknowfeeltheloveshesaid.Werealltogetherinthis.Multicolouredpostersandbannershand-madebyAl-gonquinschool-childrenfromKitiganZibidisplayedwel-comemessagesonthewalloftheauditoriumwhereyoungpeopleinmatchingpurpleshirtsserveduphotfoodtothehundredsofpeoplegath-eredforthefeast.Oneofthemwas7year-oldMercedesGogoaresidentofKitiganZibiwhosaidsheplannedtojointhewalkersonthelast170kmstretchoftheirmarchtothecapital.IfeellikeIamreallyapartofitshesaid.AskedwhatmessageshewantedtosendtoOttawasherepliedWeareIndiansandwewantourland.OriginalwalkersarriveceremoniouslyinOttawaIndigenousflagswavedabovetheexuberantwalk-ersastheycrossedthebridgetoVictoriaIslandthesiteofSpenceshungerstrikewheretheyweregreetedbyacrowdofcheeringsupporters.Afteraceremonyandtheperformanceofsongsthecrowdmarched-ordancedtothebeatofdrums-towardParliamentHill.NormanMatchewanspokesmanforBarriereLakeFirstNationinQuebecsaideldershavepredictedthatin-digenousnationswoulduniteforatleasttwodecades.YouseethattodayMatchewansaidaddingthat50youthfromhiscommu-nityhadjoinedthemarch.Wegettodeliveroursamemessagethatourlandisbeingdestroyedhesaid.Ourlandisouridentity.Ifthatisdestroyedthenwearedestroyed.MaybeleneWhiteduck12hadjustcompletedthe200kmtrekfromManiwakibutshesaidherfeetdidnthurt.Thersttwodayswerehardshesaid.ButIgotuseditbythethirdday.Shesaidthejourneyishelpingtobringunitytoindigenouscommunities.PeoplearesteppingupforourlandshesaidassheapproachedParliamentHill.BlindiaPapatie24saidshefeltproudafterwalkingfornearly400kmfromtheAlgonquincommunityofKitcisakikincentralQuebec.ShesaidshehopestosendapositivemessagetothenextgenerationThatonedaytheycansucceedsaidthemotherofthreeasshestoodnearthestepsofParliamentwheremusiciansbeatdrumsandsang.Weseethefuturebeforethem.AbrahamBearskin62greetedhisnephewsandtheotherwalkersonVic-toriaIslandbeforewalkingwiththemtoParliament.Hecalledthetrekpartofaspiri-tualhealingprocess.TheyrewalkingforunityforallpeopleFirstNationsacrossthecountrysaidBearskinaCreemanfromtheHudsonBaycommunityofChisasibi.Themoodwasfestiveatthedemonstrationwhichalsoattractednon-Aborig-inalsupportersfromasfarasMontrealQue.andLon-donOnt.WarrenPatatie23saidhebegandancingimme-diatelywhenheheardthedrumsbeatinOttawa.HehadbeenonthejourneyformorethantwoweekssinceleavinghiscommunityofBarriereLake.Imheretoservemylandathomeandformyanimalstreeswaterlakesandtheskyhesaid.NDPleaderThomasMul-caironeofmanyspeakerswhoaddressedthecrowdofaround2000deridedPrimeMinisterStephenHarperforhisabsencefromtheevent.HarperhadattendedaphotoopthatmorninginTorontomarkingthearrivaloftwopandabearsfromChina.MinisterofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevel-opmentAANDCBernardValcourthowevermetwiththewalkersandacceptedaninvitationtovisitWhapma-goostuithissummer.Healsoexpressedadesiretoen-gageyouthinthekeyissuesfacingcommunitiesacrossthecountryaccordingtoAANDCspokespersonJanODriscoll.Aftertheirarrivaltheorig-inalwalkersattendedayouthforuminOttawawheretheydiscussedhowtoensurethespiritofthejourneywouldcontinuesaidMatthewMu-kashamemberoftheWhap-magoostuicommunityandformerGrandChiefoftheCreeNation.Thewordofthisjourneyisgoingtospreadworld-wideMukashsaid.WithfilesfromWair-imuGitauandNatashaMendoncaPhotoDennisBevingtonPoliticsAboriginalCloseto2000peoplegatheredtowelcometheNishiyuuaftertheir1500kmjourneybyfoottoOttawaonParliamentHillwheretheyheldahugerounddanceincelebration.Yourbusinessinprint