The steady beat of drums carried the heartbeat of a people through the Temple Gardens Centre, as students and residents gathered on Sept. 30 to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Moose Jaw.

The morning gathering wove together song, dance, and story, with traditional performances, Indigenous vendors, and two keynote speakers who spoke of history, resilience, and healing. The event was a collaborative effort, carried forward by local organizations, with Moose Jaw Co-op as the title sponsor.

Dancers in colourful regalia filled the covered ice surface of the Temple Gardens Centre with movement, their steps accompanied by explanations that connected each performance to its cultural significance.

“As you can see, the beautiful colours of Mother Nature — all the beautiful, bright colours you see — are in this dance here, known as the ‘fancy shawl dance,’” the event’s MC explained. “This is what this dance represents — a butterfly flying through Mother Nature, flying from Mother Earth.”

A round dance then followed, where members of the community were invited to join hands symbolizing the act of walking together on the path of reconciliation.

“We always like to include that (dance), because it’s all of us coming together …,” the audience learned.

Dr. Claire Thomson, a Lakota historian and Parks Canada field historian, provided historical context about Lakota people in Moose Jaw and the Wood Mountain region. She shared stories of resilience and survival from her own family and community’s history.

Later, Métis speaker and artist Nolan Malbeuf offered a powerful reflection on resilience, recovery, and the importance of kindness as a force for healing. His words about addiction, sobriety, and the role of women in Métis culture resonated with many in attendance.

“Notice there’s a word that we’ve been talking about the last little while called ‘reconciliation,’” Malbeuf said during his presentation. “It means ‘to make peace with.’ And I am 100 per cent completely convinced that we (cannot) make peace with (anybody) unless we make peace with ourselves.”

Geoff Anderson, CEO of the Moose Jaw Co-op, said it’s important for businesses to play a role in reconciliation.

“We’ve been part of Truth and Reconciliation for a number of years, and each year it gets better and better. We certainly take the Calls to Action seriously,” Anderson said on behalf of the Moose Jaw Co-op. “As business leaders, we need to try and not only support these events, but also try and work with our governments to effect some positive change.”

He added that the presence of local students was particularly meaningful.

“It was an amazing event and I’m so honoured to be a part of it. I really thank the City of Moose Jaw, all the people who sponsored the event, and really, at the end of the day, all of our educators who brought our children out here to hear this message, because it really starts with them,” he said. “Without our kids learning our shared history that spanned over 400 years, we can’t learn from the mistakes of the past to be better for the future.”

The ceremony concluded with remarks from Hayley Hart-Rushinko, the City of Moose Jaw’s acting manager of communications and stakeholder relations and Indigenous liaison.

“Every change is generational, and we need to be very conscious of decisions we’re making and how it can affect those generations to come and the generations behind us,” she said.

To learn more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, including a number of resources for residents with Indigenous ancestry, visit Canada.ca/en/Canadian-Heritage.

Aaron Walker

Reporter

Moose Jaw Express