Thanks to everyone who helped record this important moment for community memory, and for ensuring that the Cree language was lovingly incorporated into the memorial and the celebration. It’s an honour to record the moment here.
Special thanks to Teron Roberts, whose organization and tenacity created this moment. In his own words,:
Thank you to everyone who came to sit and visit with us today at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church at Stanley Mission.
We unveiled the Memorial Plaque made in Remembrance of our Ancestors who died in the Influenza Epidemic of 1920. It is Dedicated to the Survivors and all their Loved ones left behind who cared for, attended the sick and dying, and helped bury the dead. It is also Dedicated to the unknown, but remembered Relatives who died and were buried out on the land. Each an irreplaceable loss. Each leaving behind a family, and a community forever changed. kikistîthitinân: we honour you.
Special Thanks of Chief and Internal Council of Lac La Ronge Indian Band and Councillors of Stanley Mission. A sincere acknowledgment to Ty Roberts and the LLRIB Lands and Resources department for their involvement in this project: kinanâskomitinâwâw.
The moment was captured on video, which you can view here; scroll down to for additional photos (click to open each for captions). Scroll down further still to link to our earlier post including full text of the monument and audio for read-along.
From Solomon Ratt: My grandparents on my father’s side are buried on that little island. Their names are on the plaque. My grandfather’s name was Patrick. My late brother was named after him. Today (along with my sister Bella) I got to hold two of my late brother’s grandchildren (in Cree kinship they are also my grandchildren) both are named Patrick.
For the complete text of the memorial plaque, along with read-along audio, please visit our earlier post:
