Seven Canadian aborigines have completed a 16,000-kilometer trek to the capital, Ottawa, in protest against poor living conditions in First Nations reserve areas of Canada.
The government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper is under criticism for its violations of the rights of indigenous people in Canada.
David Kawapit, 18 and one of the seven walkers, said, “This is not the end. We started with a walk but our movement will continue.”
The journey reportedly kicked off in mid-January from the Whapmagoostui Cree community on the coast of Hudson’s Bay in northern Quebec.
However, the number of walkers increased as supporters joined them along the way. There were hundreds of them when they arrived outside the Canadian parliament in Ottawa.
Kawapit and the other six aborigines who aged 17 to 21 were to meet later with Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt to discuss the predicaments facing the natives in remote communities.
In December 2012 and January, a 44-day hunger strike by Theresa Spence, one of Canada’s tribal chiefs, became the centerpiece for the aboriginal rights movement demanding an end to poor living conditions on reserves.
The campaign cranked up dozens of protests which amounted to emergency meetings between native leaders and Prime Minister Harper.
Critics believe little has been achieved since then to solve the crisis in Canada’s reserves, although Harper agreed to keep up “high-level dialogue” with the tribal leaders.
On December 19, 2012, Amnesty International called on Ottawa to address human rights abuses in the country, particularly with respect to the rights of indigenous people.
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