To honour those who came before us, the Red Deer Public Schools moved forward this morning with a flag raising ceremony at their Central Services Office, paying tribute to the First Nation and Metis people.

This event served as the districts response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in recognition of Metis and First Nations people, as well as recognizing the history and treaties of the area.

The flags of Alberta, Treaty Six, Treaty Seven, and the Metis Nation flag were all raised in front of the Central Services Office this morning, in a tribute complete with prayers, songs, and drums.

The morning started off with an opening prayer done by First Nation Elders Lynn and Corky Jonasson, who carried with him a bag of tobacco, which is considered a sacred medicine.

 

From there, a rendition of O Canada was performed by RD Public School Students Sheldon Steinhauer and Ayrton Chilibeck, which was sung in English, French, and Cree.

The crowd was then honored by a song from the Red Deer Men's Drum Group, and the closing prayer was conducted by John Ermineskin, of the Ermineskin Cree Nation.

 

Haley Christen is a Coordinator with the First Nation/Metis/ Inuit Learning Services with Red Deer Public Schools, and she says the curriculum is slowly changing here in Alberta, with more attention being paid to the history of First Nations people in Canada, including residential schools. She says this flag raising ceremony is a small step in the right direction.

"We have a lot of work to do as we move forward in reconciliation, and in answering the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. So there is a lot of work for everyone to do, for all the people in Canada, for organizations, for government agencies, for churches, for business, for all Canadians".

Christen then shared a favourite quote of hers from Justice Murray Sinclair, a former judge, First Nations lawyer, and Chair of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and reconciliation Commission.

"We need to change how we talk about each other, and how we talk to each other, and reconciliation and change will come from that".

(The four flags of Alberta, Treaty Six, Treaty Seven, and the Metis Nation flying outside the Red Deer Public School Central Services Office.)