On Saturday, hundreds of First Nations people across Canada traveled to Alberta to look upon the savage destruction wrought by the extraction of tar sands oil from their Mother Earth.

The Healing Walk, which takes place June 27-29, marks the fifth and final such trip to the Athabasca tar sands. During the eight-hour tour, the group will take in some of the major “sites” of the Big Oil development projects, including a Syncrude upgrader, tailings ponds and heavy haul trucks.

“For the fifth year straight, we will smell the crude oil and toxic plumes, especially if the wind pushes back south,” the march organizers write. “Some walkers, as in past years, will be forced to stop walking due to breathing difficulties or bloody noses. We will walk at ground zero of the oil sands, surrounded by vast oil sands mines.”

In addition to the march, the hosts have organized several workshops, panels, stories and performances, which will culminate with a giant feast and prayer Saturday night. During the event, participants posted pictures on Twitter.

#healingwalk Tweets