Sask Sport is committed to recognizing National Day for Truth and Reconciliation through education, knowledge and sharing.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation recognizes and remembers those who were lost to the legacy of the residential school system, honours survivors and acknowledges the lasting harm and pain that these schools brought to Indigenous children, their families and communities. Sept. 30 is an opportunity to participate in and contribute to reconciliation.
Sask Sport and the amateur sport community can come together in the spirit of reconciliation to provide program support and training that work to advance Indigenous athletes, coaches and volunteers. Sask Sport will continue to commit to partnerships with Indigenous community groups to advance understanding and shared experiences. The Indigenous Coaches and Officials Program has spent nearly 20 years working to bridge gaps, while the NextGen Grant helps foster growth and support athletes to continue on the pathway to athletic success including at the most recent North American Indigenous Games.
Contributions and efforts of reconciliation will only help to enrich Saskatchewan communities.
In 2023, Sask Sport partnered with a local Indigenous artist and long-serving volunteer in the amateur sport community to produce an ‘Every Child Matters’ orange shirt. Orange shirts honour survivors, commemorate those who attended residential schools, remember those who never returned home and reaffirm that “Every Child Matters”. The Indigenous-produced shirt is meant to be worn in the spirit, unity and commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
The Sask Sport ‘Every Child Matters’ shirt has special meaning in all parts of the design:
- The circle shape represents the interconnectivity of all aspects of one’s being including the connection with the natural world.
- The child in the centre of the circle is looking up to the sky to acknowledge the children who never made it home from residential schools and is praying for those who still suffer from the affects.
- The starblanket guiding star pattern represents a new beginning from ignorance to the truth.
- The northern lights behind the starblanket are the spirits of those departed friends and relatives trying to communicate with those they left behind on earth.
Resources are available to learn more and to deepen understanding: