Provincial residential school monument unveiled in Regina to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day

An official monument to honour Indigenous people whose lives were affected by residential schools has been unveiled at Government House.

The provincial memorial was created alongside elders and survivors of the residential school system in Canada, to ensure traditional practices were honoured, according to a news release from the provincial government.

“We need a lasting place where people can come to remember, to reflect, to pray and to think about what residential schools did to our country, but specifically to Indigenous people. Those impacts continue today” Lieutenant Governor Russ Mirasty said.

Nature was an important piece in designing the monument. Flowers and plants native to Saskatchewan surround the site. Benches made from trees that were once standing at Government House are also on display, while the monument itself is a rock selected from Treaty 4 Territory by the Lieutenant Governor.

“Signifying the importance of this specifically to Saskatchewan, but also at the same time that many students, many children left the province to go to different residential schools in Manitoba or Alberta.”

Residential school survivor Ted Quewezance said the ceremony was a step forward in healing, but reaffirmed it’s a lifelong process.

“What you see here is something that’s going to be for the future generations of people of this province,” Quewezance said. “Why it’s here, what it’s about, it’s going to be history.”

The construction of the memorial fulfills the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) Call to Action #82, which recommends: “installing a publicly accessible, highly visible, residential school memorial in each capital city to honour survivors and all the children who were lost to their families and communities.”

Approximately 150,000 Indigenous children were removed and separated from their families and communities to attend residential schools.

The TRC estimates that 20 federally operated residential schools operated in Saskatchewan during the 1880s to the 1990s.

OTHER NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY EVENTS

Regina was filled with events commemorating National Indigenous Peoples Day on Tuesday.

Many of the events were in the spirit of education and celebration, such as the collaborative art project at the RCMP Heritage Centre, set to the theme of the seven grandfather teachings.

Or the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Network event at Victoria Park and City Square Plaza, which was meant to celebrate and recognize the day and it all it stands for.

“This is all a day about cultural learning, bringing the community together, being able to answer questions to dispel myths and learning about each other so that we can move forward together,” Robert Allin, the coordinator of the event in City Square Plaza, said.

Allin said he’s hoping to see next year’s event grow even better, so more people of all ages and backgrounds can come together to celebrate.