‘We come here for healing’: Saskatoon holds fifth annual truth and reconciliation powwow

Saskatoon residents observed the fifth annual Truth and Reconciliation powwow on Wednesday, gathering to honor and commemorate the history of Indigenous children who were forced to attend residential schools. Elder Irene Nippi, who was sent to a residential school at the age of six, emphasized that the schools took away more than just family – they also stripped away a sense of pride in their culture and traditions.

Hundreds of people adorned orange shirts, symbolizing a call to end the trauma of residential schools, and participated in dancing, singing, and reflection throughout the day.

Travis Toto, a drummer from Whitefish River First Nation, shared that attending the powwow brings them healing and fills their hearts with warmth. Similarly, Koreen Geres, an attendee, expressed the importance of learning more about each other for reconciliation. For many, including young attendees like Jordan Baptiste, the powwow serves as an opportunity to instill pride in their heritage in their children.

Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand, while acknowledging the progress made towards reconciliation through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 Calls to Action, emphasized that more needs to be done. He stressed that mere acknowledgment of these calls to action is not enough – real change must come from enacting them. Arcand highlighted the need for uncomfortable discussions and collective action to move towards genuine reconciliation, going beyond the symbolic one-day observance.