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'Let’s make a difference': flag raising ceremony promotes reconciliation

HUMBOLDT — A flag raising ceremony in front of the Horizon School Division’s central office aimed to promote reconciliation between the division and Indigenous people.

HUMBOLDT — A flag raising ceremony in front of the Horizon School Division’s central office aimed to promote reconciliation between the division and Indigenous people.

“We have to begin to be able to realize how we can come together to be able to create a world where people are included with trust, respect, feeling, caring, tolerance, understanding, acceptance and forgiveness,” said Glen McCallum, the president of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan.

The June 21 ceremony on national Indigenous peoples day, the third one hosted by Horizon, also featured a prayer by Elder Stuart Bitternose, a smudge, a victory song and performances by the Dancing Horse Dance Troupe from the Kawacatoose First Nation.

“This day is a celebration and a recognition of the calls to action that were brought to our attention back when Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its report,” said Crandall Hrynkiw, Horizon’s superintendent of learning services.

“Certainly two of the elements of that are language and culture, which education certainly has a part of promoting it within our schools.”

McCallum agreed that was important for reconciliation.

“There's a lot of things that we can do, put in a language program for instance. We've lost our language because of residential schools, foster homes, the ’60s scoop and the list goes on.”

The Métis nation president also called for more examples of Indigenous figures in schools to both give students somebody to look up to and to prompt students to ask about Indigenous culture.

Hrynkiw said the division is also giving lessons on the treaties signed between Indigenous people and settlers.

“There's always more work to be done in terms of education and understanding of our history,” Hrynkiw said, “There's been ongoing growth and curriculum around incorporating First Nations and Métis ways of knowing.”

The superintendent said work is being done on the secondary level curriculum to achieve that.

During the ceremony, Chief Byron Bitternose of George Gordon First Nation called on everybody to take action to make a difference.

“Today, educators have the potential to make truth and reconciliation a reality,” he said. “They can not only teach our young people culturally appropriate curriculum and respect the residents of schools, but also teach our next generation and creating a fair and more just and inclusive Canada.”

Coun. David Crow Buffalo of Day Star First Nation said it was nice for Indigenous people to be recognized. The councillor also said reconciliation was a mind-boggling task.

“We know there was wrong. We know the events that took place should have never happened but we have to make better people of ourselves,” he said. We’re here, non-First Nations are here. We're not going any place. We’re going to live among each other, so let's help each other heal, live together, look for the positive.”

Sheryl Kayseas, a board trustee from Fishing Lake First Nation, said it was amazing how national Indigenous peoples day was celebrated at Wadena Elementary the day before by the school’s students and staff. Many Fishing Lake youth attend the two schools in Wadena.

“It was a great honor to see the importance of each of us and how everyone is coming together and working together,” she said.

Albert Pinacie, a board trustee from Muskowekwan First Nation, said that education is the new buffalo, a way to secure a way of life.

“Our shortest path out of poverty is true education,” he said.

After the ceremony, both Horizon trustees and Indigenous representatives signed a declaration that committed the division to work towards reconciliation, and tell the truth about residential schools and their effects.