nīkānītān manācihitowinihk | ni manachīhitoonaan
“Let us lead with respect”
September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for all of Canada.
The University of Saskatchewan will remain closed this day which coincides with Orange Shirt Day so students, staff, and faculty can reflect on and participate in this integral day. In 2024, the university will observe the statutory holiday on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024.
See below for events and programming held throughout the university's Week of Reflection leading up to September 30.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission - Calls to Action
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation responds to Call to Action 80 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action, which reads:
- We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
Orange Shirt Day
The annual Orange Shirt Day on September 30 opens the door to global conversation on all aspects of Residential Schools.
It is an opportunity to create meaningful discussion about the effects of Residential Schools and the legacy they have left behind. A discussion all Canadians can tune into and create bridges with each other for reconciliation. A day for survivors to be reaffirmed that they matter, and so do those that have been affected.
Starting Monday, September 23, 2024, wear an orange shirt for the week as a message to yourself and others that you are committed to taking action.
Every Child Matters, even if they are an adult, from now on.
The USask Indigenous Space & Visual Symbols in the Health Sciences Committee has partnered with Shop USask to provide orange shirts to help acknowledge Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30. This year, shirts featuring "Turtle's Protection" by Cree/Saulteaux aritst James Desjarlais is available through Shop USask.
Proceeds from the sales of shirts featuring James’s artwork will be directed toward a fund supporting the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action with a portion of proceeds also being directed toward the artist.
Learn about the history of Orange Shirt Day — the annual event inspired by Phyllis Webstad's personal experience of having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day in the Canadian residential school system.
James Desjarlais is an aspiring Indigenous artist, born and raised in Saskatoon. As a Cree/Saulteaux male and father, he has been given many teachings and experiences from his ancestors and elders. He has personally felt the intergenerational trauma from residential schools and systemic racism and has grown up in an environment where these challenges were present in his home and the homes of his friends and peers.
Every art piece James creates is drawn from the lessons and teachings that have been passed down to him. He has been greatly inspired by his own personal history with the residential school system and the damage systemic racism has caused.
James believes that, through art, he can create meaningful and lasting change in Saskatoon, in Canada, and in the world at large.
Events and Programming
Leading up to September 30, our USask community is encouraged to participate in a week of reflection on Truth and Reconciliation. We invite everyone to stroll through the Bowl and read the orange banners with the Calls to Action pertaining to post-secondary education, visit the library’s website for suggested reading, podcasts, and movies, and show support through participating in the many activities happening on campus and around Saskatoon.
Monday, Sept. 23, 2024
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
Monday, Sept. 23, 2024
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
The Blanket Project is a resolution to a significant initiative that began with the discovery of 215 bodies found at Tk’emlúps Residential School. Its original purpose was to tie an orange ribbon for each spirit onto the buildings and objects on the USask campus. Sadly, as more unmarked graves were found across Turtle Island, the need for commemoration grew, resulting in over 9000 ribbons being placed.
Initially, the intention was to burn the ribbons in a sacred fire. However, due to the ribbons’ non-organic nature, it was deemed inappropriate and unsafe to do so. In light of this, the Mistatimōk committee, tasked with guiding the USask community towards meaningful and authentic commemorations related to decolonization and reconciliation, decided on an alternative approach – implementing the ribbons into blankets, incorporating patterns of healing and celebration representing various nations across Turtle Island, including those across the Medicine Line.
The first pattern to be woven will be the 8-pointed star used in achakakohp, the traditional Star Blankets of the nêhiyawak and many other peoples of the plains. The Star Blanket acts as a blueprint for nêhiyawak cosmology and ways of being that connect life on earth to the teachings of the stars and the spirit world. We know the Star Blanket is used to honour, protect, and celebrate an individual. “Receiving a star blanket brings good dreams, prosperity, and protection. The star does not only represent the Morning Star but it's also known as the Creator's Eye, therefore when the Creator is with you, covering you, you are forever safe.”
The blankets will symbolize collective strength, resilience, and a commitment to reconciliation as the community moves forward in acknowledging the painful history and working towards a more inclusive future with Indigenous people. The blanket project is a reminder of the atrocities committed in the past and present day and is a step towards healing and honouring the lives of those affected by the Residential school system.
Everyone in our campus community is invited to attend and learn more about the project and how your unit can participate in this initiative.
Dates: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
The university will light our buildings and pathways in orange to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and to reflect on what truth and reconciliation means for our campus community.
We invite everyone to come to campus and take a moment to walk the paths and reflect on the lights and the TRC Calls to Action banners that are installed around the Bowl.
Huskie Athletics presents a schedule of athletic events featuring special programming. Athletes will wear orange in honour of residential school survivors and their families.
Sept. 27 is a home game for Huskie football Look for special orange-themed fireworks at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park.
Tickets for these games are available now.
On Sept. 28, the Dakota Classic will mark the start of the Huskie cross country competitive season. This annual event honours residential school survivors with athletes wearing orange singlets and through a partnership with Saskatchewan Aboriginal Track and Field to include a smudging ceremony, a presentation to First Nations Elders, and a community walk/run to support residential and day school survivors. This year's event is happening at the Dakota Dunes Resort.
Saturday, Sept. 29 to Sunday, Sept. 30, 2024
Location: SaskTel Centre
The Saskatoon Tribal Council is hosting the “Every Child Matters” – In Honour of Reconciliation Pow Wow at SaskTel Centre. Admission is free. Visit the event webpage for programming details and more information.
Resources and initiatives
USask learning resources
Office of the Vice-Provost Indigenous Engagement (OVPIE) website
Learn about how USask is working with our communities on and off campus to uplift Indigenization by advancing initiatives and strategies that promotes Indigenous Knowledges and supports reconciliation and decolonization.
I-Portal: Indigenous Studies Portal
Learn about Indigenization, decolonization, the history of Indigenous Peoples and cultures, and other sudjects available through this Univerity Library resource.
Indigenous Wellness Resources
Supports are available here on campus, in the community and online.
Student Affairs and Outreach
The USask community is encouraged to access support services through Student Affairs and Outreach by calling (306) 966-5757 or emailing intake@usask.ca.
Community resources
Wellness and support
For emotional crisis referral services and information on other health supports from the Government of Canada, residential school survivors can call 1-866-925-4419 . The Hope for Wellness Help Line is also available to Indigenous peoples across Canada 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for counselling and crisis intervention. Toll-free at 1-855-242-3310 or available via online chat at hopeforwellness.ca.
Reconciliation Saskatchewan
The Office of the Treaty Commissioner is working to support a provincial movement for truth and Reconciliation in the Treaty territory of Saskatchewan.
Saskatoon Tribal Council
The Saskatoon Tribal Council is dedicated to creating a respectful environment that inspires and encourages innovation and leadership while building and strengthening partnerships with communities, individuals and organizations.
Other ways to get involved
Short Course for Indigenization, Decolonization, Reconciliation (IDR)
Sept. 20, 25 and 27, 2023
Time: 2:30 – 4:45 pm
Location: Murray GMCTL 50.12 Classroom
Facilitator : Darryl Isbister, Lead, Indigenous Education Initiatives, GMCTL
Designed for faculty/instructors, this short course will help prepare faculty to begin the process of indigenizing their courses and/or making their department Indigenous friendly. Participants will be encouraged to delve into the effects of colonization, power and privilege in relation to knowledge and history of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous knowledges, epistemologies and pedagogies will be introduced. This short course will be three sessions of two hours each. By registering for this course you agree to attend all dates and times listed.
In 2021, the University Library presented the exhibit Not Just Another Day Off: Orange Shirt Day and the Legacy of Indian Residential Schools in the Murray Library to engage visitors to learn about the impact of the Indian Residential Schools through archival documents, published materials, and other physical items from the library’s collections. By considering treaties, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the TRC Calls to Action, the exhibit connected the Residential schools with anti-Indigenous racism and their combined legacies. It was meant to be a respectful demonstration of the work of generations of Indigenous educators, scholars and community members.
While the exhibit itself is no longer available, USask’s Media Production team captured the exhibit in a video narrated by the curators Donna van de Velde and Deborah Lee.
A research guide created by Métis librarian Sheila Laroque offers a wide variety of resources and invites us to continue our collective learning journey.
Wanuskewin Heritage Park is offering a full day of programming in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Admission is by donation.
Saskatoon Tribal Council > is hosting a pow wow and concert in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This event is free to attend. Everyone is asked to wear orange.
Our Stories
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We acknowledge we are on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respect to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another.