The inaugural National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was held Thursday.

The Warrior Walkers for Healing Nations, who travelled to Kamloops, B.C. earlier this year after the discovery of 215 children’s graves there, started the day with a walk from the Porter Creek Super A at 9 a.m.

They walked the Alaska Highway to the Healing Totem with a stop at the top of Two Mile Hill, where they held up traffic while they sang a song and said a prayer.

The walk ended at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre for stew and bannock with 600 servings, more songs and prayers, and some words from the leaders and cultural activities.

“It’s important to be here today to support one another to share and to learn from each other’s experiences,” said Kwanlin Dün councilor Jessie Dawson.

“We must have truth before reconciliation, and to have reconciliation we must all walk this path together,” Dawson added.

“Despite what we have endured, I see a bright future. I invite you all to see that bright future too.” Grand Chief Peter Johnston of the Council of Yukon First Nations told those gathered, “Today is about not only educating the future (youth) but also telling about the past and where we’ve come, and we should not be ashamed anymore of who we are.

“Today is a day of celebration; we all do this for our children; this is what it’s all about at the end of theday. Let’s eat.”

“We are still here,” said Diane Strand.