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Every month, to six weeks, Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand is hopeful he can hold an event for reconciliation.
August’s event? It’s being held at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex Monday, complete with residential school survivors speaking, along with cultural awareness events including a possible mini-powwow, according to Chief Arcand.
“We want to continue the work that we’ve been doing in regards to education and awareness … about how we can all work together on reconciliation,” he told 650 CKOM Sunday.
“Depending on the weather, if it’s nice out, it will be outside on the football stadium at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. If it rains, we have the ability to go inside to their training facility.”
In terms of what to expect, Chief Arcand said it’s going to be a lot of talk about understanding, working together and unity. He added that visual components would be there, along with participation from the crowd.
“It’s very simple. It’s not too complicated. They may also come and listen to some of the Elders and the people that have experienced residential schools talk about what they want to see moving forward,” Arcand added.
“It’s all about the residential school survivors … in making sure we’re there to support them — anyway we can.”
Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand speaks during the announcement of the Every Child Matters concert, pictured on Aug. 17, 2021. (Brady Lang/650 CKOM)
Chief Arcand said reconciliation needs to also have a component of truth to be effective. The speeches, he said, won’t be long.
“We’ll let their voices be heard,” said Arcand.
Earlier last week, Arcand coined the residential school findings as the Indigenous community’s pandemic in a pandemic.
“It’s been happening to our people for 100 plus years, in regards to what they’ve been through. Residential school survivors, inter-generational trauma,” he explained.
“How this pandemic can really change what we’re doing — we’ve got to be united. We’ve got to hear the truth of the people … These people were five, six, seven years old … in 2021, we call that kidnapping.”
He said the speakers aren’t looking for pity, they’re looking for understanding. Arcand said this is an opportunity to move forward in a positive direction.
The event begins at 9:30 a.m., running until around 1 p.m.
Saskatoon Tribal Council also announced its Every Child Matters event at SaskTel Centre on Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which will include Canadian country music artists Gord Bamford, George Canyon and Charlie Major.
