Local resident school survivors were honoured during a blanket ceremony and honour song held during the fourth annual National Day for Truth & Reconciliation event at Medicine Hat College Tuesday evening. Hundreds of people participated in the event which also included a prayer, walk and speeches.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Emphasizing the community’s recognition of their journey and struggles, local survivors of the residential school system were honoured during a blanket ceremony held Tuesday evening at Medicine Hat College in front of hundreds from the community who gathered to honour the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day.
Marcia Naziel is a 60s Scoop Survivor and spoke to the News on the importance of recognizing the trauma and pain inflicted on thousands of Indigenous youth as the country moves forward toward reconciliation.
“I’ve had lots of members of my family gone missing,” said Naziel. “I have been out of my place since I was five years old.”
Naziel says she endured several forms of abuse – physical, sexual and emotional – while she was a young child attending the residential school system and living with a white family.
“The father sexually molested me at eight years old. So I’m here every year, because I matter, and my children matter and my grandkids matter, and this has got to stop.”
Naziel joined nine other residential school survivors, who were honoured with a blanket ceremony and honour song during the fourth annual event for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which included a prayer ceremony, walk and speeches in front of Medicine Hat College.
Several hundred Hatters in attendance learned that in the past Indigenous Peoples in the prairies used buffalo robes for many ceremonial purposes, including wrapping them over a lodge to hold a sweat ceremony, and were worn like religious garments during significant ceremonies.
Buffalo robes were also used to make the original teepees in the region, however over time and through colonization, Buffalo robes were banned in a lot of Indigenous ceremonies.
Today, blankets are used in a contemporary sense during ceremonies to recognize and honour the hardships endured by the 60s scoop survivors, and to acknowledge the community stands in unity with them.
Elder Warren Drunken Chief, Honorary Chief of the Kainai Nation, led the ceremony with a prayer before expressing his gratitude for the large number of people who attended the ceremony wearing orange shirts and holding flags.
“When I come to Medicine Hat, I feel so peaceful,” he said. “We know what needs to be done, but when I come here, I feel gratitude, I feel very welcome.”
“Medicine Hat, what you’re doing today for our Indigenous population means a lot to me as one of the Horn Society Elder, you would all make great society members, because you showed the first thing, respect.” he continued.
MHC vice-president Nancy Brown spoke about the college’s commitment toward reconciliation, and called the term “ReconcilAction,” highlighting the important tangible steps taken toward reconciliation.
“We also recognize that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done as we strive towards reconciliation. Medicine Hat College is grateful for its relationship with the Miywasin Friendship Centre and the Fire Keeper’s Women’s Society to enhance activity and education within our community,” said Brown. “It is their knowledge and support that guides us on this journey of two-eyed seeing.”
Following Drunken Chief’s prayer, hundreds walked in unity around the college campus before returning to conclude the event with the blanket ceremony and honour song.
