A tipi at the Pimiy Ôcenas Nâtawîhowin Askiy (Devon Healing Medicine Grounds). Photo by Ryan Hunt.
Sept. 30 served as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or Orange Shirt Day, in Canada, commemorating the tragic history and impacts of the residential school system and honoring reconciliation.
In the Edmonton region, there was plenty of events happening on Orange Shirt Day.
In Devon, a small town about 26 km southeast of Edmonton, they held a ceremony of storytelling, reflection, and remembrance. To mark the day, Pimiy Ôcenas Nâtawîhowin Askiy (Devon Healing Medicine Grounds), which is located along River Drive, opened up to the public so Indigenous people in the area have a place to feel safe and heal.
The grounds feature benches, a fire pit in the middle of a giant medicine wheel, medicine plants surrounding the wheel, and educational signs that talk about the land Devon lies on.
A firepit in the middle of Pimiy Ôcenas Nâtawîhowin Askiy (Devon Healing Medicine Grounds). Photo by Ryan Hunt.
Mike Hanly, a counselor for the Town of Devon, spoke to Windspeaker Radio Network about the project and how it was funded.
“This entire project was federally funded. That in itself, if you respect treaty, is an important step [to reconciliation]. I’ve heard comments out there asking ‘is this taking away from other programing?’ It’s the complete opposite. Because this was funded properly, it took absolutely nothing away,” Hanly stated.
On the east side of Edmonton, Strathcona County hosted their own event for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Sherwood Park that featured their own ceremonies.
Lloyd Cardinal, a community volunteer, helped with smudge and sang honor songs for the children who never returned from the residential school system. To him, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation means a great deal.
“Today is like an act of reconciliation. It’s also an acknowledgment. We’re basically coming together as people of the land, and to honor the children who didn’t make it home from residential schools, and to honor the children that are being found to this day, ” Cardinal said.
People gathered in Sherwood Park for Orange Shirt Day. Photo by Ryan Hunt.
When it comes to how one should treat National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Hanly put it into perspective.
“National Day for Truth and Reconciliation obviously has a very somber undertone. A lot of the truths aren’t happy truths that we’re here to celebrate. But the fact that we’re out here together acknowledging them, is something to celebrate. There are two sides with this whole thing,” Hanly said.
Listen to the full interview with Mike Hanly and Lloyd Cardinal below:
Do you have a story idea? Email me: ryan@windspeakermedia.com
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