People in Iqaluit were out in full force on Sept. 30 for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation march.
"It's so powerful to look out and see, just a wave of orange," said Premier P.J. Akeeagok to the huge assembled crowd in front of the Igluvut building at Iqaluit's Four Corners. "Seeing the support of the community is just inspirational to me."
The premier was flanked by other leaders such as Nunavut MP Lori Idlout and Qiqiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) President Olayuk Akesuk.
The QIA has been sponsoring this event in Iqaluit since 2021.
"We are the representatives of the beneficiaries [of the Nunavut Land Claim Agreement] for Baffin Island," said Akesuk. "We know what our people went through during [residential schooling], now it's Truth and Reconciliation, and we are proud to be sponsoring this and the parade today... We're just happy that people are here today recognizing the people that went through the schools in the past. Again, this is a healing process that we are dealing with now."
The march, led by residential school survivors, made its way around Queen Elizabeth II Way to Iqaluit Square. A moment of silence for the children lost to residential schools, the survivors and their families was observed before the march commenced.
It was a full turnout, and the QIA had provided new "Every Child Matters" orange T-shirts. Besides the several hundred being handed out in Iqaluit, the QIA also provided the T-shirts to every other Baffin community.