The United Church at Cape Croker (Neyaashiinigmiing) is pleased that several of the Front Runners who delivered the PanAm torch to the games in Winnipeg in 1967 will be at the church this Sunday to speak and to watch with the community, the National Film Board drama of their journey, "Niigaanibatowaad: FrontRunners."

In 1967, ten Indigenous young men were chosen to carry the torch 800 km from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Winnipeg for the Pan American Games. When the runners arrived at the stadium, they were not allowed to enter. Instead, a non-Aboriginal runner was given the honour of carrying the torch inside.

Thirty-two years later, the province of Manitoba issued an official apology to the runners, nine of whom were students at residential school. And in 1999, when the PanAm games were again held in Winnipeg, seven of the original runners carried the torch into the stadium during the opening ceremony.

Some of these men have received an award at Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto for helping to bridge the gap between First Nations and Canada.

They will be at the Cape Croker United Church this Sunday, November 23rd to be welcomed and remembered by the Nawash community. A feast will follow a showing of the 46-minute film.

Cape Croker United Church, Corner of Prairie Rd & Community Centre Rd
November 23, 2014
3:00 pm for introductions, drum, gifts, film
4:00 feast at the Community Centre across the road
All are welcome.

• Info on the film: http://www.anglican.ca/relationships/wp-content/uploads/frsg_ang.pdf (the writer is Southampton's Laura Robinson who will be at the screening)
• To order the film: http://www.goodminds.com/niigaanibatowaad-frontrunners-dvd-home-dvd-use-only

Source - David McLaren