RMWB gathers ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30 is National Day of Truth & reconciliation, and Orange Shirt Day.

On September 28, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, along with the Athabasca Tribal Council, hosted a Community Gathering and Walk to recognize the occasion. The event began with the RMWB raising the Survivors’ Flag, accompanied by Indigenous music and drumming.

“The impact of the Residential School System continues to have a long-lasting effect on our families and communities. The truth is that we must support community members as they continue to heal,” said Chief Allan Adam, President of the Athabasca Tribal Council and Chief of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation ahead of the event.

An estimated 1,000 people came together to walk through downtown, engaging in a process of listening, learning, and reflecting on the legacy of the residential school system.

The Survivors’ Flag is an expression of remembrance, meant to honour residential school Survivors and all the lives and communities impacted by the residential school system in Canada.

Each element depicted on the flag was carefully selected by Survivors from across Canada, who were consulted in the flag’s creation.

In the flag you will see:

The Family

The Children

The Seeds Below Ground

Tree of Peace

Cedar Branch

Cosmic Symbolism

The Métis Sash

The Eagle Feather

The Inuksuit

Learn more about the Survivors Flag at: https://loom.ly/21IcFjk