A special group of riders will be in this year’s Dauphin Ag Society Fair Parade riding to create awareness of murdered and missing aboriginal women, residential schools and the Sixties Scoop.

The Unity Riders and are a dedicated group of individuals from all over Canada and the United States, that make special appearances at various events.

Helena Macawasicuna, a member of the group, tells us the history of the Unity Riders.

“The Unity Riders were established in 1991. We are from all different tribes and the dream was to make awareness and to bring the horse nation together.  So we ride for diabetes; alcohol and drug awareness; murdered and missing aboriginal women; residential school and sixties scoop; we do a lot of healing rides.”

The Unity Riders participate in 10 to 12 events a year throughout the province and this year around eight to 12 riders will be in this Saturday’s parade.

“We have a very big horse family connection, so when we do a ride, usually before the ride and after the ride, we explain why we are on that ride, what the purpose is, our protocols, our cultural ways and how it connects, and we tell a story. We tell a story of how the Unity Riders were formed.”

The riders came to Dauphin this past year for the Knights of Columbus Christmas Parade.