{"id":87398,"date":"2022-08-18T11:27:05","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T15:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=87398"},"modified":"2022-12-07T13:08:08","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T18:08:08","slug":"run-in-the-spirit-of-reconciliation-this-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/sections\/runs-races\/run-in-the-spirit-of-reconciliation-this-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"Run in the spirit of reconciliation this fall"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Tr\u00e9chelle Bunn<\/strong> believes that movement is medicine. An athlete, university student and activist, Bunn, 22, is directing the inaugural Reconciliation Run Half-Marathon on Sept. 30 (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation).<\/p>\n

Bunn hopes to bring “people across the country together while providing education and a meaningful event to partake in on a day meant for reflection and learning.”<\/p>\n

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Image courtesy of Tr\u00e9chelle Bunn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bunn, who grew up in Wampum, Man., is a proud member of Chan Kagha Otina Dakh\u00f3ta Oy\u00e1te (Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation). She explains the motivation behind her initiative: “Much like the rest of the country, in June of 2021, when I heard about the 215 remains of Indigenous children uncovered at the former Kamloops residential school, my heart sank.”<\/p>\n

“As an intergenerational survivor of the Canadian residential school system, the recoveries hit home for me, and I knew I had to do my best to ensure that the conversation surrounding the effects of the residential school system was ongoing,” she adds.<\/p>\n

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Photo courtesy of Tr\u00e9chelle Bun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In July 2021, she organized a Healing Walk on behalf of her community to honour our residential school survivors and all of those who never made it home. “The 26 km walk began with a ceremony at the former Birtle Residential School and concluded when we made it home to my community, Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation,” Bunn says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The walk was powerful for the community, and since the 26 km distance was close to a half-marathon, Bunn decided to bring the event to life again, this time with a run<\/a>. The event is sanctioned by the Manitoba Runners’ Association.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Facebook\/Tr\u00e9chelle Bunn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both last year’s Healing Walk and the Reconciliation Run were inspired by Bunn’s Kunshi (grandmother) Mildred<\/strong> and Unkan (grandfather) Donald<\/strong>, who were survivors of the Birtle Residential School. The walk was a reclamation of power for Bunn’s community, survivors and their families, and Bunn hopes the run will have the same impact<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“The walk was very symbolic to my community, as it allowed us to willingly and freely walk away from the school in honour of all the children who were denied the opportunity to walk away on their own terms and all of those who never made it home at all,” she says.<\/p>\n

If individuals and groups are interested in participating virtually, they can send an email through the website<\/a>, and Bunn will connect with them to set it up. The virtual run can be any distance and can be run at any time between Sept. 26 and 30. The intention behind the virtual run, as with the in-person event, is to get runners to reflect, through movement, in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. <\/p>\n

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A post shared by Tr\u00e9chelle Bunn (@trechellle)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n