Running across Canada is no simple task, yet there is a group dedicated to completing this objective in honour of those who have passed on before them.
Napi’s Run for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Men and Mother Earth 2023 has been crossing the country for 70 days consecutively.
Johnny Bare Shin Bone says he had a dream in 2019 about this run and now he says it was just time to finally do it.
“I thought to myself, I’m just going to fulfill my dream and see what happens,” said Bare Shin Bone in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.
The run began in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and it is set to finish in Victoria, British Columbia this summer.
Bare Shin Bone says this run is for those who no longer have a voice on Earth, even though he believes they still have a voice “on the other side.”
“I’d like to commemorate them,” said Bare Shin Bone. “Quite a few of them are my sisters too, my relatives.”
Furthermore, he says an important message he hopes to get across is the necessity of education in Indigenous communities.
“Getting an education, that’s so important for us Natives,” said Bare Shin Bone. “… Hopefully I get the message through, about getting an education with everyone.”
It would appear as though the message is spreading, as Bare Shin Bone says the community support has been incredible over the past two months.
“They’re such a beautiful people from all across Canada,” said Bare Shin Bone.
He says the community has been quick to offer food, shelter and emotional support ever since they left St. John’s.
His niece, Ramona Big Head, agrees with him that the support has been even overwhelming at times.
“We all met at the world’s largest tipi in Medicine Hat and they were already there waiting for us,” said Big Head in a separate phone interview on Tuesday.
She says they have dedicated every step of the journey to those who have passed away and this sentiment has created significant emotion among those participating.
“As soon as we invite people to come and support us in honour of your loved one, they come out and they’ll walk and run as far as they can,” said Big Head. “That’s how meaningful this is, it’s not just a bunch of people running across this country, we’re actually running with a purpose.”
However, she says this is not a fundraiser of any kind, but simply a message from the heart.
“It is just to create awareness and we don’t want to trigger the past traumatic memoires. What we are doing is encouraging the healing,” said Big Head.
She says this run is for people who have passed away by any means, whether it be murder, overdose or something else.
“I lost my daughter to overdose, my granddaughter six months earlier to overdose, a year prior to that, my oldest son to overdose,” said Big Head.
However, she says those who have left are not truly gone, for they are supporting this run through their memories.
“I call on them and I ask them to help us today in any way that they can from that side,” said Big Head.
She says the support from runners and the community has enabled them to make up some incredible time.
She says they have averaged around 85 to 100 kilometres per day, but Tuesday was looking significantly better.
“We’re going to cover almost 200 kilometres today,” said Big Head.
At the time of the interviews, Napi’s Run was closing in on Brooks, with hopes to reach Blackfoot Crossing by the end of the day.
For more information, or to see updates on the run, go to the Napi’s Run 2023 for MMIWM and Mother Earth Facebook page.
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