Round dance flash mob takes over Edmonton mall

EDMONTON -

A flash mob, Indigenous singing, and a flurry of orange shirts surprised shoppers at Kingsway Mall Sunday afternoon.

Dozens of people started a round dance in front of Mac Cosmetics around 2:15 p.m. to raise awareness about Canada's residential school system's harm to Indigenous people.

Ambyr Miller, a participant, told CTV News that the surprise round dance was organized to help keep the search for unmarked graves and quest for the truth about the harms residential schools caused at the forefront of people's minds.

"There are still children who need to be uncovered across the country," Miller said.

"A lot of us, we have family members who just want that closure," she added. "We want to know what happened to these children, and we want them brought home."

Miller described how a round dance is meant to keep community ties strong.

"It's a dance of celebration. It's a dance of kinship, and it's fun." 

If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419