A National Day of Truth and Reconciliation procession enters the gym at Holy Rosary High School Friday morning led by elder Mike Young, carrying an eagle staff gifted to the Lloydminster Catholic School Division by Onion Lake Cree First Nation. Photo courtesy of the LCSD
We are all treaty people.
That was the message of a special ceremony at Holy Rosary High School in the Lloydminster Catholic School Division (LCSD) on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Treaty 6 territory.
“We are all on this learning journey together walking our path,” said LCSD Indigenous program coordinator, Cynthia Young, before a packed school auditorium on Friday.
“I always tell my students, take care of each other; be good to one another, be kind and smile and don’t leave anybody behind. And that’s what it means to be a treaty person.”
Truth and Reconciliation has come a long way at LCSD, leading to the welcoming of a sacred eagle staff, gifted to LCSD by Onion Lake Cree Nation.
“It will remain with us and gives us the reminder never to forget and to keep learning,” said Young during a shared live-streamed celebration to all LCSD students and staff.
The eagle staff was danced into the gym with three ceremonial songs to the delight of Nigel McCarthy, director of education at LCSD.
“The eagle staff is a symbol of the work that we’ve done together over many years,” said McCarthy.
“It’s not a one-day type of affair. It’s much more of a statement about a journey we’ve been walking for many years here together.”
McCarthy says that journey will continue with the ongoing construction of a Truth and Reconciliation centre at the school supported by Synergy Credit Union and other community members.
The event included a special video highlighting the work being done in the division to advance Truth and Reconciliation awareness and understanding in the classroom.
“The success of our students really is the first thing we see as our mandate in terms of Truth and Reconciliation,” said McCarthy
“If our graduates leave us excited about the future they have in Canada, then I think we’ve done our job as teachers and educators.”
Elder Grant Whitstone noted it was also Orange Shirt Day in Canada to honour the children who never returned home and the survivors of residential schools, along with their families and communities.
The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture and self-esteem experienced in Indigenous children over generations.
“We ask the singers to help us out with the eagle staff and flag song to honour and recognize all those people that got affected by that Indian residential school era,” said Whitstone.
Other guest speakers included local MLAs Colleen Young and Garth Rowswell and LCSD board, chair Paula Scott, who touched on reconciliation.
“We acknowledge the harms and the mistakes of the past and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous communities in the spirit of reconciliation and collaboration,” said Scott.
Approximately 18 per cent of the student body at LCSD identifies as First Nation or Métis.
This was the second annual National Day of Truth and Reconciliation in Canada since Ottawa proclaimed it a federal holiday, but not a day off at LCSD this year.
“For us, we chose to be in school to teach our students to do events like this so it helps students better understand the history of it,” said Young.
She says it means the world to her to celebrate together at LCSD.
“Twenty years ago, I started on this path teaching people the good things about my culture and look where we are today,” she said.
“We’ve just been growing and everybody is open to the learning. It’s been so well taken.”
It was also her birthday on Sept. 30, making it that much more special, particularly the presentation of the eagle staff to the beat of the Redtail drummers.
“It means we’re on the right path. It means what we’re doing is being recognized and we’re just on the right journey,” said Young.
