Nishiyuu Walkers: In Restlessness, There Is Power

"What did we say to each other
that now we are as the deer
who walk in single file
with heads high
with ears forward
with eyes watchful
with hooves always placed on firm ground
in whose limbs there is latent flight"

-- N. Scott Momaday: "Smilie"

When the Nishiyuu Walkers arrived in Ottawa on March 25, 2013, 68 days and 1,600 kilometres from the start of their journey, they were fulfilling a time-honoured Cree tradition of walking. It is not a small thing this tradition. For thousands of years, the Cree, and other First Nations, have walked, paddled, or, in the west, rode vast distances. That act of motion was, in its essence, the balance of tradition and necessity combined in a way of existence that was sustainable and life-affirming.

Nishiyuu Walkers Meet With Justin Trudeau, Bernard Valcourt

A group of Cree youth who trekked 1,600 kilometers from Northern Quebec to Ottawa are making the rounds on Parliament Hill.

Last night, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt met with some of the young people who completed the trek for just over half an hour.

"He expressed a desire to engage youth in the key issues facing communities across the country. He also accepted an invite to their community this summer," the minister's spokesperson told the Canadian Press.

The walkers of Nishiyuu lead the way on journey that can transform Canada

Throw a stone in the water, and ripples extend outward.

Chief Theresa Spence's Sacred Fast on Victoria Island did not produce a meaningful dialogue with the Crown and the Prime Minister, but it did produce something entirely different and more enduring: a vision.

Seventeen year old David Kawapit Jr., from Quebec's Whapmagoostui First Nation, on the coast of Hudson Bay, had the vision. In it, he saw a wolf and a bear. The wolf, he explains, is the First Nations’ peoples, and the bear is the government. Singly, the wolf is destroyed, but when the wolf is accompanied by its brothers and sisters, they can easily take down the bear.

Atleo, native leaders applaud Nishiyuu Walkers at end of 1,600-km trek

OTTAWA — The arduous journey of the Nishiyuu Walkers may be complete, but their demand for unity and a new relationship between the federal government and aboriginal people is only getting louder, native leaders said Monday.

Seven men, including a guide, left the Cree community of Whapmagoostui, Que., on Jan. 16, and walked nearly 1,600 kilometres from Hudson Bay to Parliament Hill, where they were greeted by throngs of enthusiastic supporters, some of whom had joined the walk.

To see a map of the walkers route, click HERE.

Speaking out, demanding respect: Nishiyuu walkers bring message to Parliament Hill

The big sign on Parliament Hill read "Honour Your Word."

It was the message of the Nishiyuu walkers to the politicians inside.

Honour the words of your treaties, which say First Nations people have the right to live on the land "as long as the rivers flow."

Honour the words of your constitution that says Aboriginal peoples have an "inherent right" to self government.

Honour the words of the 1763 Royal Proclamation which reserved existing Aboriginal lands for the "several Nations or Tribes of Indians" and required all non-Aboriginal persons living on these lands to "remove themselves forthwith."

Nishiyuu Journey By Cree Youth Ends As Harper Greets Pandas

Two months and 1,600 kilometres later, a group of Cree youth arrived in Ottawa today, completing their trek from Northern Quebec in support of Idle No More and the Quebec Cree Nation.

They were met with cheers, chants and waving flags as the group stepped onto Parliament Hill. Some attendees tweeted that an eagle circled overhead soon after the trekkers arrived.

Cree walkers speak at Parliament Hill after Idle No More trek

A group of young people from the James Bay Cree community of Whapmagoostui, Que., has arrived at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, ending a 1,600-kilometre trek meant to bring attention to aboriginal issues.

Ottawa police are warning commuters to avoid Wellington Street between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday because of the march. Commuters are asked to use an alternate route when possible.

Forget 'panda diplomacy'; it's the Journey of Nishiyuu that deserves our full attention

The Journey of Nishiyuu arrives in Ottawa today -- the completion of an epic journey of Indigenous youth that started in the community of Whapmagoostui on Hudson Bay in northern Quebec.

Hundreds of supporters, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, will be on hand today in Ottawa to greet them. Members of the labour movement and other civil society groups will be there to show their support. Some Members of Parliament, from opposition parties, will be there when the group arrives on Parliament Hill shortly after 1p.m. EST today.

rabble.ca's parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg will be there on the Hill to report on this historic event.

Indigenous youth on epic journey to Ottawa deserve attention and respect

Monday, March 25: The Journey of Nishiyuu arrives in Ottawa today. Hundreds of supporters, Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike, will be on hand today in Ottawa to greet them. Members of the labour movement and other civil society groups will be there to show their support. Some Members of Parliament, from opposition parties, will be there when the group arrives on Parliament Hill shortly after 1p.m. EST today. rabble.ca's parliamentary reporter Karl Nerenberg will be there on the Hill to report on this historic event.

Nishiyuu Walkers reach Chelsea, their ranks swollen from seven to several hundred

OTTAWA — Every step David Kawapit took on Sunday brought him closer to Parliament Hill, the final stop on an extraordinary journey that has galvanized aboriginal youth and captured the broader public’s attention.

The 18-year-old and six others, including a guide, are the Nishiyuu Walkers.

They left Whapmagoostui, their small Quebec community on the coast of Hudson Bay, in the middle of January, travelling by foot along traditional Cree and Algonquin trading routes to bring a message of unity to other First Nations and Canadians alike.