Candice George on the Warriors Walk for Healing Nations this summer.

Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Steven Dubas

As the country’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, some Canadians might be wondering what it is going to look like, while others have been walking all month towards the ceremonial day as part of a country-wide awareness walk.

Dakelh First Nations woman Candice George from the Wetsuwet’en territory, launched the ReconciliACTION Walk to raise awareness of the mistreatment at Indian residential schools.

The project challenges every member to tally up and submit their walked kilometres throughout the month of September with a total combined goal of 6,509 km to represent the number of children's remains suspected to have been discovered to date. The basic commitment requires walking 1.2 km at least three times per week.

George said she has members participating across the country.

“I have a member from Newfoundland and one from Manitoba, and many members from the Yukon," she said. "The rest are across the province. I have two northern school districts participating as well as a private school in Kelowna where the teachers are keeping a tally of students’ kilometres to submit. My smallest participant is two years old."

George said the project was inspired by First Nations walkers, the Yukon Warriors, who walked from the Yukon to the residential school grounds in Kamloops this summer in honour of the discovery of children’s remains there.

READ MORE: Indigenous walkers soon arriving at former Kamloops residential school grounds

George joined the Yukon Warriors when they came through her territory near Burns Lake and walked with them to Kamloops.

“It was a beautiful experience I wanted to continue,” she said. “I wanted to engage Canadians to learn about residential schools and honour the children who ran away throughout the years as well as today’s survivors.”

George said a big piece behind the project is to get people moving for better physical and mental health.

"When we move our body at least 150 minutes per week it will improve our mental health," she said. "The impacts of residential school caused a lot of trauma. It is important for Indigenous people to have good mental health and wellness. I wanted to create change and inspire people to keep moving."

READ MORE: Indigenous woman from Saskatchewan has been walking to Kamloops for over a month

George said she hopes all Indigenous people of all ages can experience healthy communities where languages, culture, values and traditions are honoured and there is freedom from trauma, drugs and alcohol.

She said there are many ways to participate on Sept. 30.

"I want to encourage non-Indigenous people to participate to help us raise awareness and hear our story," she said. "People can write a letter to the children and burn it in a can, the fire is what connects us to our ancestors. The Secwepemc honour song is to be sung at 2:15pm PST on that day. Wearing orange to acknowledge trauma is healing for our elders."

George said all Indigenous people have been asked to sing and drum for the day, to honour the children and to the mark the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

You can learn more about the ReconciliACTION Walk here.

"The elders from the Secwepemc First nation tell us every step we take is a prayer," George said. "You will empathize with the children when you walk."

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