'This is the day to celebrate our resilience': Buffalo Day honours Indigenous culture in Regina
Instead of the typical red and white usually donned on Canada Day, orange shirts filled the lawn of Buffalo Meadows Park in Regina as dozens gathered to celebrate Buffalo Day.
Indigenous leaders from the Buffalo People Arts Institute hosted the event in lieu of Canada Day celebrations.
"Let's celebrate the day, but celebrate the land, the community the children, and let's call it Buffalo Day. Because before all these buildings were here for the city, this was prime buffalo land,” said Joely Bigeagle-Kequahtooway, organizer for Buffalo Day. “This is the day to celebrate our resilience and our connection or reconnection to that the Tonka spirit."
The day focused on learning about the history of the buffalo and the impacts of the residential schools.
While organizers were happy to see people of all backgrounds at the celebration, they hope the conversation will continue.
"When we talk about Truth and Reconciliation, I think there are so many people who still aren't yet at the truth,” Bigeagle-Kequahtooway said. “There's a big education component that we need to figure out how we're going to share, especially with the discovery of children's bodies…I mean that's when you start to really think about the truth of that, you know it is horrific.”
Along with storytelling from Elders and street painting, a traditional pow wow was held.
Organizers said they hope this type of celebration can help bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, while creating allies for their community.
"For the kids out here, when they see other folks – other than Indigenous people – putting in work to make this stuff happen. It just is so impactful for those kids…I think that's what builds community,” said Kevin Wesaquate, a painter and storyteller at the event.
Other events scheduled to take place in Regina Thursday include a smudge walk at the First Nations University of Canada and a candlelight vigil at the Legislative Building.
--
If you are a residential school survivor in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Additional mental-health support and resources for Indigenous people are available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.