Photo from the Red Deer Native Friendship Society's Blanket Exercise / Photo by Keith Driver
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, takes place annually on September 30 as a National Day of Mourning for those who suffered at the various Indian Residential Schools in Canada.
On Friday, September 26, the Native Friendship Society of Red Deer (NFSRD) hosted a day of reflection during Reconciliation Week.
The day of reflection, which was facilitated through the Blanket Exercise and a workshop titled “So you want to be an ally?” led by former Executive Director of NFSRD Leeanne Hazel, saw 62 registered participants in attendance. Each participant in the Blanket Exercise is put into the mochasines of Canada’s Indigenous peoples and is walked through the effects of European contact.
Local Red Deer resident Alexis Forbes, who previously participated in the exercise, says that going through it again serves as a reminder of reconciliation.
As each moment of the exercise evoked various emotions from each participant, it left a lasting impression. After the exercise, participants gathered into two groups to talk about their experience and share how they felt.
For Wetaskiwin Country resident Zzie Sutton, who participated in the exercise for the first time and works in Red Deer, says that the most eye-opening part of the experience was learning the history of the First Nations people of Newfoundland who no longer exist.
2025 marks 40 years for the NFSRD, and over the years, the demand for cultural programs has grown in the city of Red Deer. With various events taking place throughout the province of Alberta during Reconciliation Week and Orange Shirt Day, it shows a wide desire to learn more about Indigenous culture.
Executive Director for the Native Friendship Society of Red Deer Nadette Agecoutay, says they are currently experiencing a surge of interest and are finding the demand very positive.
Take part in Orange Shirt Day by visiting the CFWE events calendar and joining the Indigenous community in remembering the children who never came home from Residential Schools.
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