A BIG EVENTS LEADING UP TO NATIONAL DAY FOR TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION ACROSS SASKATCHEWAN CITIES AND TOWNS
A cross Saskatchewan, cities, towns and communities will hold events leading up to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day to commemorate those who attended Indian residential schools in Canada.
In Regina, there will be a Community Smudge Walk on Sept. 28, 2023, which will be hosted by the First Nations University of Canada. The day will include a traditional pipe ceremony starting at 8:30 a.m., and the walk will follow from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with drumming, singing, and presentations. A free community lunch at noon will end the event.
On Sept. 29th, the Eagle Heart Centre will be placing shoes on their fence to remember the children of residential schools. This will start at 11:00 a.m. at 1102 Angus St.
On Sept. 30th, there will be several events in the Queen City. Reconciliation Regina will host an Orange Shirt Day Walk and community BBQ at the Mâmawêyatitân centre starting at 10:00 a.m. Circle Project will also host an event in downtown Regina at Victoria Park with an honor walk and guest speakers to follow.
This event will start at 10:00 a.m. and run until 1:00 p.m. The Newo Yotina Friendship Centre will also host Every Child Matters annual gathering, starting at 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
In Saskatoon, the Survivors Flag at City Hall was raised to honors residential school survivors and all the lives impacted by the residential school system in Canada.
On Friday, Sept. 29th at 11:30 a.m., there will be a Truth and Reconciliation Speaker Series at the Eston Library where Tim Poitras shares his ancestral knowledge, his life story and experiences.
There will be a free film screening of Bones of Crows, which is an account of a residential school survivor’s life and the journey she endured. This film will be shown at the SaskTel Theatre at the Remai Modern on Sept. 30th at 1:00 p.m.
Reconciliation Saskatoon will host another year of Rock Your Roots Walk for Reconciliation on Sept. 30, 2023, which will start at the Central Urban Metis Federation Inc. (CUMFI). A program in Reconciliation Circle will follow with family-friendly activities in the park.
At the Wanuskewin Heritage Park, there will be National Truth and Reconciliation Day activities starting at 10:00 a.m. that will run until 4:00 p.m. This event will feature traditional teachings, demonstrations, guided walks, art activities and musical performances.
The Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) will host an Every Child Matters powwow celebration with free admission starting on Friday till Sunday, held at the SaskTel Center.
In the Orange Banner Project, people can view 205 banners placed in downtown Saskatoon, which feature the faces of survivors of the residential school system.
In Prince Albert, there will be a blanket exercise on Sept. 28, 2023, which will be hosted by the City of Prince Albert in honors of Orange Shirt Day and National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This event will start at 7:00 p.m. at the Prince Albert Arts Centre with pre-registration required.
On Saturday, there will be a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event that will start with an Every Child Matters walk at 10:00 a.m. from the River Street MMIWG Monument to Prince Albert Grand Council. Another walk will begin at the Prince Albert Indian and Metis Friendship Centre and Navy League Walk from Kinsmen Park to City Hall.
To end the day, there will be a reconciliation round dance on Sept. 30 at the Prince Albert Friendship Centre starting at 4:00 p.m. until midnight.
