Pictured above: Shamattawa residents preparing to march from their rally point at the Echo River

Shamattawa, MB, stands united as it responds to the tragic mental health and suicide crisis it faced last month, calling all residents to join them at this difficult time as they continue to advocate for changes by the federal government and raise awareness to underlying issues. More recently, Elders of the community organized an event on June 2nd, inviting community members to join them as they marched from the Echo River to the Shamattawa School building.

By rallying together to both heal the community and call for aid, residents are hoping to incite action to address several long-standing issues in the community – many of which have culminated into the aforementioned crisis, such as a lack of funding for recreational activities, insufficient mental health support and inadequate housing.

The timing of Shamattawa’s march coincided with the discovery of the remains of the 215 children at the former Kamloops Residential School in BC. In solidarity, participants wore orange shirts as part of the Every Child Matters campaign, drawing attention to the atrocities committed through the residential school system and the need to ensure no child ever experiences the same neglect and abuse.

Shamattawa Northern staff supported the community’s march by providing food and drinks and joining the march itself.

“We want to help out in whatever way we can,” says Shamattawa Northern store manager Aaron Leader. “Everyone around us is doing their best, and we can only hope our efforts come across as genuine – because it’s important that they know we’re standing by them during these difficult times. We all want to be there for the community.”