There was much to celebrate on June 21 as Horizon School Division raised four First Nation flags in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day.
The day started off with a pipe ceremony with Austin Kay and Utin Machiskinic of the Kawacatoose First Nation residing over the traditional ceremony.
Four flags from First Nation communities were raised, including Day Star First Nation, Fishing Lake First Nation, George Gordon First Nation, Muskowekwan First Nation, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation flag and the Horizon School Division flag were raised during the drumming of the Flag song by the Horse Drum Group followed by drumming and dances done by guest dancers.
It was a tough day to be outside with high winds but Horizon’s First Nation Metis and Indigenous Education Coordinator, Lester Gardiner, recalls that something his mother always said made the wind rather poignant for the ceremony.
“She says in the spring time, in order for ice to be cleared there are days where we have big winds...for 150 years there has been an ice that’s covered the relationship between the Government of Canada and the people of Canada.”
It is not like that big wind is going to make people forget, people just want the ice to move, says Gardiner.
With the reconciliation flag raising at Saskatoon City Hall on June 14, Horizon School Division becomes one of only a few entities, and the first school division to publicly raise the reconciliation flag.
“Being the first school division in the province, (Horizon) is such an awesome and progressive school system that looks at bridging those gaps that have existed for a long time.”
Benny Paul Crow-Buffalo with Horizon Board of Education says that the ceremony was brought to Horizon to share the culture that was taken away with the Indian Act and residential schools.
“This is our identity. And if all we can do is open the door, I’m glad to see so many in here to come in and join.”
The four First Nation communities have been a part of Horizon School Division since its inception 12 years ago and currently has nearly 900 First Nation students attending Horizon Schools.
Crow-Buffalo commends the Horizon School Board for allowing the chiefs and elders, which there is very few left he says, to bring this piece of First Nation culture into Horizon.
“We’re here and we’re still here in existence the way this country was built with the sunshine, the rivers, the winds, and we’re always going to be here.”
With the country trying to move forward with Truth and Reconciliation, this is a great first step, says Crow-Buffalo.
“It seems like the creator gives you that little bit of guidance and lightens your load a bit.”
Within all of this, whether it be the flag raising or the truth and reconciliation process, Crow-Buffalo says that all First Nation people are looking for is a bit of respect.
Gardiner says seeing everyone come together to acknowledge reconciliation and National Indigenous Peoples Day is both representative of the past where aboriginal people helped settlers to survive in a new land and of the future where he wants to see his children working together with non-aboriginal people.
“We cannot correct the wrongs of history but we’re learning from them so we don’t repeat them,” says Gardiner.
