'This is not a sprint, this is a marathon': Saskatoon observes Truth and Reconciliation day with major Powwow
A sea of orange, and the sound of song and drums filled SaskTel Centre on Monday as Saskatoon marked Truth and Reconciliation day at the Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) “Every Child Matters” powwow.
The memory of residential schools in Canada remains vivid for many attendees, including Jenny Spyglass, whose life was altered by the system in the 1940s.
"I was just a baby when they took me away, but thank God I came back. My little brother Reggie passed away at a residential school because of starvation," remarked Spyglass.
The trauma inflected by those institutions has persisted for generations — and Canada’s not the only country with such a legacy.
"There's been a lot of similarities here to what had happened, and is still happening back home," said Moannu Kawana, a member of a delegation of Māori people from New Zealand who attended the event for a cultural exchange with Canada’s First Nations.
He says the fight for truth and reconciliation crosses borders.
The Māori delegation exchanged gifts with the Saskatoon Tribal Council, and demonstrated their culture through dance and song.
A woman snaps a picture of a delegation of Māori dancers at the Saskatoon Tribal Council powwow on Monday. (Noah Rishaug / CTV News)
STC Chief Mark Arcand emphasized the ongoing nature of reconciliation, with still fewer than a quarter of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action completed.
"This is not a sprint, this is a marathon, and we need everyone to come together on a day like today to celebrate reconciliation," said Arcand.
The STC says that the road ahead is long, but that they believe the healing has begun.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm. Florida orders evacuations
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm off Mexico and threatens Florida, forecasters say.
A woman was recently diagnosed with scurvy. Here are the factors tied to the disease
Scurvy is not just an archaic diagnosis of 18th-century seafarers and doctors should be on the lookout for possible cases, according to researchers following a recent case.
Alleged suicide kit salesman files in Supreme Court to contest whether assisted suicide can ever be murder
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada’s highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
U.K. doctor admits trying to kill his mother's partner with poison disguised as a COVID-19 vaccine
A British doctor on Monday admitted trying to kill his mother's long-term partner, who stood between him and an inheritance, by injecting the man with poison disguised as a COVID-19 vaccine.
Canadian leaders, demonstrators hold events on anniversary of Oct. 7 attack
Ceremonies, events and protests are being held across Canada today to mark the anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
LeBron and Bronny James become first father-son duo to play together on an NBA team
During the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, LeBron and Bronny James became the first father/son duo to play together on an NBA team.
Man arrested after stealing Vancouver police cruiser, driving it into neighbourhood park
A man stole a police car and drove it onto the field of an East Vancouver park Sunday morning, placing 'dozens of bystanders in harm’s way,' according to police.
Lawyers for Madeleine McCann suspect seek acquittal in his German trial on unrelated sexual offence charges
Lawyers for a man who is also under investigation in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann called on Monday for him to be acquitted in his trial on charges of unrelated sexual offences.
Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone, dead at 63
Christopher Ciccone, a multihyphenate artist, dancer, designer and younger brother of Madonna, has died. He was 63.