The City of Côte Saint-Luc will unveil of a plaque on its Human Rights Walkway on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, at 10:30am in honour of Na’kuset, who will be present at the event.
The Human Rights Walkway is located at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park, 6975 Mackle Road. In case of rain, the event will be held the following day at the same hour (this time rain or shine).
Na’kuset is Cree from Lac la Ronge, Saskatchewan. Born in 1970, she was one of the estimated 20,000 or more First Nations, Métis and Inuit infants and children taken from their families by child welfare authorities and placed for adoption in mostly non-Indigenous households from approximately 1951 to 1984.
Today, Na’kuset is Executive Director of Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. Na’kuset launched many programs including the Miyoskamin second stage housing project, Saralikitaaq (a social pediatric centre open to Indigenous children and their families across Montreal), the Iskweu Project (immediate assistance to missing Indigenous women or girls), the Cabot Square Project (counselling, referrals, and liaison with other social services), and Resilience Montreal (food and shelter, mental health and medical support services).
Inaugurated in September 2000 and located at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park, the Côte Saint-Luc Human Rights Walkway is dedicated to those men and women who, by their steadfast commitment to humankind, have held high the torch of human rights and let it light the world. For more information on previous inductees, visit https://cotesaintluc.org/services/sports-recreation/human-rights-walkway.
“Human rights are critically important to our city council and our residents,” Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said. “The Côte Saint-Luc Human Rights Walkway is where we honour those who advocate for human rights here and around the world. We’re proud to add the name Na’kuset to the walkway and hope it will serve as an inspiration to all those who visit the park.”
Councillor Mike Cohen, who is chairing this event, noted that the timing was scheduled specifically to attract local schools from Grades 5 and up. He added that the date chosen falls on the eve of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, still colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day, which recognizes the legacy of the Canadian Indian residential school system.
Schools interested in attending should send an email to [email protected].
MEDIA CLIPPINGS
CTV News Montreal
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/indigenous-activist-nakuset-inducted-into-human-rights-walkway-1.6580421
CityTV Montreal
https://montreal.citynews.ca/2023/09/27/nakuset-cote-saint-luc-human-rights-walkway/
Global News
https://globalnews.ca/news/9989641/nakuset-pierre-elliott-trudeau-park-human-rights-walkway/