Saskatoon to host TRC commemoration event
- Fraser Needham | May 28, 2015
Saskatoon will host its own special event on June 2 to commemorate the conclusion of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The event will take place at Victoria Park and about 2,000 people are expected to attend.
The daylong festivities will feature a full lineup of entertainment, a community lunch and balloon release.
Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Felix Thomas says although the healing for residential school survivors and their families will never really be over, it is important to host such an event to recognize the positive steps forward that have been made.
“The residential school era is a part of First Nations and Aboriginal peoples’ history, it’s a dark era that has now been acknowledged and hopefully will be part of the curriculum for educational institutes when they study that period of Canada’s history,” he says.
Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison adds the event will be about bringing the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities together.
“We’ve heard about the truth part and now it’s about reconciliation,” he says. “This is a day for us to be able to get together, for all citizens, to come together as one and work towards the healing process that so many are looking forward to having.”
Central Urban Métis Federation Incorporated President Shirley Isbister says the dark legacy of residential schools continues to affect not only First Nations but also Métis people.
“Many Métis people were in residential school and it’s still in process to have some of these issues settled,” he says. “We work daily with families that are descendants and with residential school survivors.”
Reverend Dave Moors, a spokesperson for Saskatchewan churches involved in administrating Indian residential schools and day schools, says it is extremely important Christian churches be involved in this and other similar events.
“Churches have traditionally been on the wrong side of these issues for decades and centuries,” he says. “And so for us to now turn the corner, which I think we’ve done over the last five years, ten years, to offer the apologies that most of the mainline churches have in Canada to the Indigenous peoples of this country and to be involved in reconciliation and apology around the Indian residential school system is extremely important.”
Moors also says the organizers of the TRC commemoration event hope to host one of the largest round dances in history and Saskatoon churches will ring their bells at 10 a.m. to coincide with the ringing of church bells in Ottawa.
Featured speakers at the TRC event include residential school survivor Deanna Ledoux and CFL safety J.R. LaRose.
Recording artist Donny Parenteau and the Young Thunder Drum group are amongst the musical performers.
The TRC began in 2008.
Related stories:
- Op-ed: Missed opportunities for reconciliation
- Federal government announces TRC extension
- Muskeg Lake project honours survivors
- Residential school survivor hopes his story compels others to share
- Indian residential school display at Mendel Art Gallery in Saskatoon
Click here for more News stories.