Bunn leads the way

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This article was published 11/09/2023 (745 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Tréchelle Bunn is an accomplished hockey player but it’s her off-ice leadership skills that really set her apart.

She will host the second annual Reconciliation Run half-marathon in Birtle on Saturday, Sept. 30, an event that recognizes the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation. The 23-year-old member of Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation is the founder of the event, which attracted approximately 100 in-person participants in 2022.

This year’s run already has 156 registered entrants, and that number is expected to grow.

“I think the planning was definitely overwhelming just because I’d never run in a half-marathon before,” said Bunn, who completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Manitoba and finished a U Sports career with the Bison women earlier this year.

“I didn’t really know the dynamic of what it took to set up a marathon, so the planning was definitely a little stressful, just with balancing school and hockey and then the run as well. But I think once I saw it come to fruition — when we picked up the T-shirts and the medals and then I drove out to Birtle and started setting things up — I think it was a big sigh of relief. But also kind of just basking in, ‘Oh, I created this with a team and it was so cool to see it come to life and see people enjoy it.’”

The Reconciliation Run carries a painful family connection for Bunn: her great grandmother and great grandfather both attended Birtle Indian Residential School and the run begins on the front lawn of the school, which operated from 1931 to 1972. Last year, elders shared their stories at a pre-run ceremony.

The symbolism was striking. Birtle is one of 17 residential school grounds in Manitoba that could hold unmarked children’s graves.

“I know for me, obviously it was impactful because I think of my family and my community,” said Bunn, who was raised in Wampum in the province’s southeastern corner. “But I think it even impacted a wide range of the participants and volunteers from all different backgrounds. For me, it was just important to say this started in honour of my (great) grandparents, and now it’s growing and impacting people in their own way. We even had participants who are non-Indigenous and they’d never seen a residential school before…

“As you come into Birtle, it’s right on the top of a hill. It’s like the first thing you see when you enter Birtle. A lot of participants said they had never even been on a First Nation in Canada before or they had never heard an elder or survivor actually share their story in person. And so it kind of checks those three big boxes on Sept. 30 — education, reflection and learning.”

The event, which also has a virtual component for those unable to travel to Birtle, returns this fall with more sponsorship funding and an enthusiastic group of volunteers, including Bunn’s parents Jolene and Gabriel Bunn. Her mom and dad also pitched in when Tréchelle organized the Healing Walk in 2021, an event that served as a basis for the Reconciliation Run.

“We kind of just asked her what can we do to help because she’s always been so responsible and so mature and and knowing what she wants to do,” said Jolene. “That’s just kind of the way our family dynamic works, where she doesn’t have to say, ‘We need your help.’ Just by listening we say, ‘What can we do?’ or ‘What needs to be done?’ And then we kind of go from there.”

Following last year’s Reconciliation Run, Tréchelle partnered with Under Armour Canada to donate 213 pairs of athletic shoes, enough to outfit every young person on Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation. On Aug. 18, with the help of her younger brother Teane, she distributed the shoes on what was billed as Under Armour Day.

“She’s always wanting to try to help people and kind of leading the pack,” said Jolene. “She’s kind of a natural leader, I guess.

“It got our whole family involved. It started off as something that (Tréchelle) envisioned and then it turned into something that we’re all passionate about now. It’s kind of become where we look forward to doing the run and getting as many people involved as we can and just expanding on that.”

In keeping with the themes of leadership and social justice, Tréchelle is back at the U of M this fall. This time, she’s in her first year of law school.

“I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was 14, probably,” she said. “My dad’s an RCMP officer. He’s First Nations… I’ve kind of seen his role in the justice system… I think the justice system, specifically in Manitoba, (where) we have the highest incarceration rate for Indigenous youth, Indigenous women, Indigenous men, I’d like to work toward helping maybe lower that rate, if possible, and kind of give my community and other communities the opportunity to receive the justice they deserve and be represented in a way they feel safe and heard.”

Named a youth chief for the Southern Chiefs Organization, Bunn plans to continue to pursue her leadership aspirations.

“I want to be a practising lawyer for a few years, be a criminal defence lawyer and my long-term goal would be to run for chief of my community of Birdtail,” she said. “If elected, I would be the first female chief and then maybe even one day run for national chief of AFN.”

Registration for the Reconciliation Run is now open. You can apply at https://www.reconciliationrun.ca/

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca