Families gather for the cake-cutting ceremony at the Battlefords Indian and Métis Friendship Centre for Truth and Reconciliation Day. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Truth and Reconciliation Day

Reconciliation Day celebrated with events at Friendship Centre, Orange Shirt Ride, and Fireworks show

Sep 30, 2021 | 6:00 PM

It was a time for coming together Thursday as the Battlefords honoured Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a new federal holiday.

People gathered at the Battlefords Indian and Métis Friendship Centre for an afternoon of activities that included a barbecue lunch and a cake-cutting ceremony. At the end of the event, 100 orange balloons were released, with a moment of silence, to remember all the children lost to residential schools over the years in Canada. The event was followed by a Round Dance.

Participants followed COVID-19 protocols during the day.

The Friendship Centre’s executive director, Jackie Kennedy, said for Canada to now have a National Day for Truth of Reconciliation is a big step forward, and means a great deal to Indigenous families. The day honours the children lost to residential schools, the survivors, as well as their families.

“It’s a day of recognition,” she said. “It’s just amazing. I don’t even have the words for it. It’s awesome that we have a day.”

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Kennedy hopes the occasion will help with reconciliation efforts, and raise awareness.

“It’s been recognized there was damage done,” she said. “We want to gather our community and bring awareness to everyone, and have a day of celebration.”

The Friendship Centre celebrated with a variety of festivities. Jenn Nicotine, from Red Pheasant Cree Nation, gave a dazzling demonstration of a hoop dance, while drummers in attendance offered an Honour Song.

Elder Jenny Spyglass, a residential school survivor, shared some of her painful experiences of being taken away from her mother as a child to attend residential school in Delmas.

Also during the event, North Battleford Mayor David Gillan related the history of Orange Shirt Day, about an Indigenous child’s painful experience when her beloved orange shirt, given to her by her grandmother, was taken away from her when she started residential school in B.C. in 1973.

Gillan hopes the day increases awareness about the issue.

Orange Shirt Day Ride

Also, on Thursday afternoon, an Orange Shirt Day motorcycle ride was planned in the area. Participants travelled from the site of the Delmas Indian Residential School to the site of the Battleford Industrial School, South of Battleford. At the end of the ride, participants were to take part in a commemorative walk to the Battleford Industrial School Children’s Cemetery. An Indian Residential School Survivors reception followed, hosted by Sunchild Law at Poundmaker II later in the afternoon, with a barbecue prepared by the Redrum Frog Lake MC Chapter.

Fireworks display planned for evening

On Thursday evening, a special fireworks display is planned, starting at 8 p.m. from King Hill in North Battleford. The first minute of the show will be a dazzling display of lights, all in orange. The fireworks show is being hosted by Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Inc. The public will not be permitted to enter King Hill for the event, so they are asked to view the show from the safety of their vehicles or elsewhere, in the North Battleford area.

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow