Miyo Wicehtowin walk set for mid-April

Isabel Okanese has been thinking about walking across Canada for more than a decade.

The distance is intimidating, but she wants to make the trek to bring awareness to lateral violence within Aboriginal communities, something she’s experienced many times.

“I’ve been put down by people, even Elders, who denied me teachings because I wasn’t Indian enough or I didn’t grow up on a reserve. Freezing out, gossip, jealousy, back-stabbing, blame – it’s all lateral violence,” she said. “It happens among Aboriginal people because we’ve been oppressed, and those feelings of anger, shame and rage get turned on our own.

“When we can’t fight the oppressor, we fight each other.”

The Victoria woman, who is Anishnabe Cree from Iron River in central Alberta, calls her healing walk Miyo Wicehtowin, Living in Harmony. She’ll begin from Victoria on April 18, following Highway 1 across the provinces – sleeping in a motorhome doubling as flag car – and anticipates arriving in Halifax by Oct. 30 later this year.

“It’s not a protest walk. I’m not angry about anything. This is a healing walk to remind our people of the unity we once experienced before colonization. I’ve felt rejected by my own people and I’m hoping the walk will get people sharing about lateral violence. We need to talk about how hurtful and destructive this behaviour is. Skin colour, blood quantum, where you’re from – they’re all irrelevant.

“My first sweatlodge ceremony was led by the late Alfred Bonaise. He said if you’re one per cent Indian, you’re an Indian.”

Along the way, Okanese, 43, and her walking partner, a 78-year-old Navajo Elder, are prepared to speak about ending lateral violence in Aboriginal communities. Okanese welcomes individuals to walk with her in total or in part, or to stage walks in their own communities to encourage unity.

“The sacred number is four. Walk four minutes, four hours, four days or four months, or come and be with us on the road.”

How do you prepare for an almost 4,000 km trek?

“I’ve been getting ready since last May. I inherited my late mother’s bunions, but foot exercises and wearing special “five finger” shoes have healed my right foot. I expect the left one will be healed by the time I begin the walk.”

Okanese has gone from a size 18 to a size 14, easily completed a three-hour march in February, and continues to lose weight. The first leg through B.C. is mountainous, so she’s climbing steps and inclines regularly.

“I’m a healthy First Nations woman who doesn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. I go to ceremony when I can and my spirit is strong.”

Support for Okanese is mounting. Information about Miyo Wicehtowin is on her website:
miyowicehtowin.webs.com, and she’s releasing a video on Youtube and Facebook explaining her undertaking.

The walk follows suit in her efforts to uplift first peoples of Turtle Island. In Victoria, she leads a monthly talking circle called Wanska, the Art of Decolonization, and initiated a World Smudge Day coming up on March 21.

In Edmonton, where she lived for three decades, she created Achimowin, a music and talk show still airing on CJSR Radio at the University of Alberta, for and about Aboriginal people.