Truth and Reconciliation Day gatherings took place across the land this Wednesday, with different events happening around Prince Albert and surrounding communities. Prince Albert Grand Council hosted their TRC Day gathering at PAGC Urban Services, bringing PA residents together to listen to indigenous stories and acknowledge the significance of the Orange Shirt.
The gym was filled with orange shirts, compassion, and remembrance, starting with an opening prayer from Shirley Sanderson, followed by an honour song from Young Eagle Cree drum group, and various speakers, youth advocates, bagged lunch and entertainment going until evening time and wrapping up around 5 p.m.
“Annually, we recognize and honour the Truth and Reconciliation Day for Prince Albert Grand Council and the citizens of Prince Albert,” said Prince Albert Grand Council Associate Director of Health Penny Constant. “It’s to commemorate the survivors of residential schools and just to bring awareness to the city and surrounding areas. We know that surrounding communities do have their own events, but it’s still important that we educate and create awareness on reconciliation, and what it means as a whole in society.”
“It’s an opportunity to bring all citizens of Prince Albert together so we can learn together about truth and reconciliation, about the past, but most importantly about how we’re going to move forward together to build healthier and safer communities for all,” Prince Albert Grand Council Director of Health and Social Development Shirley Woods said.
Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30 goes hand-in-hand with Orange Shirt Day that came about with inspiration from residential school survivor Phyllis Webstad’s story about her brand new orange shirt being taken away on her first day at St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School.
“Orange Shirt Day started when a little girl had a brand new shirt,” Woods explained. “She had an orange shirt that she was very proud of, and that was taken away from her when she entered the residential school. It symbolizes that stripping away of culture that happened during residential schools and it’s a means of reminding people what happened.”
Constant said that during the planning of the TRC Day event, a main goal was to continue creating an environment for society to heal together. She said that they are not looking for pity or any special recognition, but for understanding the ongoing issues that First Nations people continue to face today.
Constant said the effects of residential schools contribute to the increased rates of addiction and suicide in First Nations. She said that the event presents awareness and understanding of these both in her personal life and family history, and how it does contribute and cause these issues. She explained that the day helps to explain where these issues come from, and generate understanding and compassion.
“Having an understanding of how that continues to influence (things),” Constant explained. “Hoping that we can also help people on the streets too, to understand that this is way they have the addiction and to give them tools to heal, to grow, and to support them in their healing journey too.”
Constant also explained how the day also brings together people in the population who want to heal, and who want to understand the atrocities that occurred in residential schools.
“I think it brought reality to these atrocities, I keep saying atrocities, but there is no other word for it,” Constant said.
Constant explained how one of the goals is to take that history and focus on youth empowerment and showing the growth in indigenous youth in sport, music, and academics.
The day consisted of many youth speakers, musicians and talent. After the opening remarks from PAGC Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte, PAGC Vice-Chief Chrisopher Jobb, Health Director Woods, and other invited dignitaries, including Mayor Bill Powalinsky.
PAGC Youth Empowerment Strategy gave their presentation on the meaning of Orange Shirt Day, followed by lunch and entertainment from The Outlaws and Yvonne St. Germaine.
Youth speakers included Urijah Heathen, Sisters Amy Constant and Jenna Constant as well as Gunner Sparvier, with Comedy Hypnotist Corrie J and door prizes closing the full day of events.
Ahead of National TRC Day in Canada, there have been demonstrations across the country denying the truth, legacy, and very existence of residential schools. PAGC released a statement on Tuesday addressing the issue.
“What happened in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc lands is shameful and cruel,” PAGC Grand Chief Hardlotte said in the release.
“Personally I think it’s a very sad step backwards,” Woods said when asked about recent presentations of residential school denialism in British Columbia.
“It’s disheartening, it’s only one word, disheartening,” Constant added. “That denialism to me is disheartening because I don;t see how you can deny that those atrocities happened. When we see our addictions, our poverty, and all those other social, economic conditions that we live in to this day, it’s really painful to see and watch all of that.”
Woods said that it is important to continue with the Orange Shirt Day and TRC events, even after all this time, because there hasn’t been a lot of change seen in addictions, especially since the pandemic, and the lack of housing and housing conditions that stem from the effects of residential schools.
“If we don’t keep doing it, we’re just going to shove something else in the past without seeing change for the future, and I think that’s very easy for that to happen if we don’t continue to remind people,” Woods said. “We’re all humans, skin colour might be slightly different, but we’re all the same inside and we all as a community need to work together.”
Woods said that at the end of the day, the event was meant to raise more awareness about the effects, increase understanding about the history, and to reflect on biases to open the conversation to create change in our communities.
“I want people to go home and reflect,” Woods said. “Reflect on their biases and who we all are as people. We’re all human, and hopefully this just makes people think a little bit more about themselves and how we can make change and how we can have better communities.”
