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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
BREAKING McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.