Orange Hearts

‘EVERY CHILD MATTERS’

$2 DONATION towards It Takes A Village (ITAV)

I was absolutely heartbroken hearing about the recent uncovering of the remains of 215 beautiful Indigenous children at a Kamloops Residential School.  An absolutely sickening genocide that has really rocked my heart as a mom and as a white Christian Canadian I feel ashamed.  Although I can’t go back in time, I can come together with other businesses who also feel the sadness and the need to do SOMETHING to help ease the ache within our community here in the Foothills.

We are covering the side of our barn with 215 orange hearts, to represent each of the children uncovered at the Kamloops Residential school mass grave and we are offering Orange Hearts for sale for a $2 donation.

We feel the sadness and the aching within our community here in the Foothills as this tragic reminder of our nation’s actions is painfully brought forward in a way we can no longer ignore.

We acknowledge that we cannot know everything, don’t always know the right words to use, and that our actions will never reconcile the atrocities inflicted on our Indigenous brothers and sisters. But we feel called to take action – as a family-focused business we will not be silent about this issue, and we will work within our community to show and provide support for the Indigenous peoples.

For the remainder of the month of June (Indigenous History Month) you’ll see 215 orange hearts stapled up on the side of our barn, serving as a visual reminder of the 215 lives lost. You can “purchase” these hearts for $2 online and in the bunkhouse (& inscribe a message on them for display if you wish).

All the money raised through the sale of these hearts will go directly to It Takes A Village Okotoks (ITAV), at the suggestion of the Okotoks Indigenous Council. ITAV is one of our partner charities and the Founding President is a Treaty Indian with the Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation.  In fact, I was in the same baby group with my son Davin when this group of women first met and came together with the idea of ITAV.  I am very proud of the work they have done. ITAV works closely with the Okotoks and surrounding area to provide support to families and is connected with several reserves ensuring children and families are cared for.

* We acknowledge that the lands we occupy are the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda First Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta