Ottawa's Parliament Hill transformed into a place of ceremony and celebration at sunrise Wednesday, as a six-month-old Cree girl took her first symbolic steps into the world during a traditional Walking Out ceremony — an ancient rite that has been passed down through generations of Cree families.
The ceremony was arranged by Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty, who said the gathering was both a joyful personal milestone and a meaningful opportunity for members of Parliament to witness the living, vibrant traditions of Indigenous peoples in Canada.
What Is a Walking Out Ceremony?
For the Cree people, a Walking Out ceremony — known in Cree as Wapanacihitowin — marks a baby's first steps outdoors, typically held in their first year of life. The infant is formally introduced to the land, the elements, and the community. It is a deeply spiritual event that connects the child to their culture, their ancestors, and the natural world.
Traditionally, the child is carried outside and guided to take their first steps on the earth — symbolizing their entrance into a life connected to the land. The ceremony is accompanied by prayers, songs, and the presence of family and community elders.
A Ceremony on the Hill
Holding the ceremony on Parliament Hill was no small gesture. For many Indigenous families, Parliament Hill carries complicated historical weight — it is the site of laws and policies that caused immense harm to Indigenous communities for generations. Hosting a joyful cultural celebration there, at sunrise, was a powerful reclamation.
Minister Gull-Masty, who is herself Cree and hails from the Chisasibi First Nation in northern Quebec, used the moment to highlight that Indigenous cultures are not relics of the past — they are thriving, evolving, and being passed to new generations with pride.
"This is about the vibrant present and future of Indigenous cultures," Gull-Masty said, noting that she hoped the ceremony offered parliamentarians a moment of genuine learning and connection.
Growing Visibility of Indigenous Traditions in Public Life
The ceremony is part of a broader movement to bring Indigenous cultural practices into mainstream Canadian public life — not as performance, but as a natural expression of who Indigenous peoples are today. From smudging ceremonies before Senate sessions to land acknowledgements at public events, Ottawa has seen a gradual deepening of Indigenous presence in civic and political spaces.
For the Cree community, the Walking Out ceremony is one of the most intimate traditions — it is usually a family affair. That it was held at Parliament Hill, with politicians and staff in attendance, speaks to a growing openness on both sides: Indigenous peoples sharing their traditions, and Canadian institutions making room for them.
The young girl at the centre of Wednesday's ceremony, just six months old, likely won't remember her morning on the Hill. But her community will — and through photographs, stories, and the continuing practice of the ceremony itself, she will one day know that she took her first steps on the land in front of the people who govern it.
It was, by any measure, a sunrise worth remembering.
Source: CBC News
