Broken Walls News
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Attawapiskat 2016
Monday, July 25, 2016
Broken Walls and Carry the Cure travelled to Attawapiskat, a remote Ontario, Canada community that has been plagued by suicide over the past recent weeks and months. The team consisted of Jonathan Maracle, Bill Pagaran, Joshua Maus, Rita Bear Gray and David Maracle. While in the community, they did 2 ‘Committed to Life’ assemblies in the school for about 120 students each, their ‘A Call to the Generations’ community concert in the evening for the village with approximately 200 people in attendance, presented a QPR suicide prevention workshop for front-line workers, and led a Sunday morning service at Attawapiskat Pentecostal. They had their hands full and they were happy to be busy.
At the assemblies, the young people participated enthusiastically. It was really awesome to hear them shout the vow, ‘I Commit to Life!’ The teachers and principal really felt that it went well and that the team had connected with the students. One teacher said, “You really got their attention. I’ve never seen them so focused.” The presentations also seemed to encourage the leaders as well.
One of the front-line workers said, “The teachings and demonstrations were well received. In general, First Nations people have very few role models and Broken Walls and Carry the Cure are what they need, people who honour people for who they are and where they are at.”