Canada West members commemorate National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
CW teams are taking an active role in promoting Truth and Reconciliation education and reflection on their campuses
Sept. 27, 2024 – Canada West members are joining Canadians nationwide in commemorating the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Student-athletes from across CW are engaging in a variety of events this weekend to promote reflection and help student-athletes and fans learn more about the legacy and lasting impact of residential schools in Canada.
Last season, the conference announced no Canada West regular season games will be scheduled on Sept. 30 moving forward. The conference actively encourages student-athletes and teams to spend the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a day of reflection, and an opportunity to learn from Indigenous leaders, elders, and knowledge keepers in their communities.
Truth and Reconciliation initiatives across CW
With both the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day taking place on Monday, Sept. 30, members from across CW will wear orange this weekend to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools, recognize their experience, and show a collective commitment to ensure that Every Child Matters.
- The Saskatchewan Huskies will present a schedule of athletic events featuring special programming. Student-athletes will wear orange in honour of residential school survivors and their families. The Huskies football home game versus Alberta on Sept. 27 will feature orange-themed fireworks at Griffiths Stadium in Nutrien Park. On Sept. 28, the Dakota Classic hosted at Dakota Dunes Resort, will mark the start of the Huskie cross country competitive season. This event honours residential school survivors with athletes wearing orange singlets in partnership with Saskatchewan Aboriginal Track and Field.
- After 60 years of being known as the Sled Dog Open, last year's Dakota Classic was the first varsity meet to be held on a First Nation within the Canada West conference.
- An event four years in the making, the first ever Clash of Clans basketball tournament will take place Sept. 27 to 29 at Nisga'a Nation in northern B.C. The tournament will feature four CW women's basketball teams, including the UBCO Heat, Mount Royal Cougars, MacEwan Griffins and Regina Cougars. Games will be played between Sept 27- 29 in Laxgalts'ap, Gitlax̱t'aamiks and Gingolx and student-athletes will also participate in classroom visits and skills clinics. The games will feature opening ceremonies, with each team representing a Nisga'a clan. The Killer Whale clan will be represented by UBCO, the Wolf clan will be represented by Regina, the Eagle clan will be represented by MacEwan, and the Raven clan will be represented by Mount Royal.
- The UBCO Heat soccer teams will be wearing orange shirts at their home game on Saturday, Sept. 28. The shirts feature language, in both English and nsyilxcən, that will read 'Every Child Matters' on the sleeves of the shirts.
- The Calgary Dinos teams will be wearing orange shirts in pre-game, with a design that features art by Aliyah Bautista, a Grade 11 student from Ponoka, Alberta. The design being offered through the University of Calgary Bookstore features a child in the middle to represent the “I” in child. However, it is also to honour those who have died as a result of the Indian Residential Schools or are healing from them. It’s to remind people that all children are important. To Aliyah, Orange Shirt Day is an opportunity to recognize how many individuals have lost their families and cultures as a result of residential schools.
- The Dinos are also producing two video features with a Truth and Reconciliation focus, including a feature on student-athlete Danyka Labelle and another with multiple members of the Dinos community.
- At their home game on Sunday, the Victoria Vikes women’s rugby team will be collecting donations for Thunder Rugby, an organization that supports Indigenous rugby programs on Vancouver Island. The Vikes women's soccer team will also be wearing orange shirts that were designed by a former indigenous UVic student-athlete. As an athletics program, the Vikes are encouraging all staff and athletes to participate in UVic's programming throughout the week.
- On Thursday evening the UBC Thunderbirds women’s rugby team wore warm up tops and new jerseys featuring Musqueam Artwork titled “Thunderbird Takes Flight” designed and created by Musqueam Artist Deanna-Marie Point; while event staff were outfitted in custom orange shirts. This weekend, the Thunderbirds women’s field hockey team’s coaching staff will also wear custom orange shirts for games on Saturday and Sunday.
- The MacEwan Griffins men’s and women’s soccer teams will be wearing orange t-shirts during warm up and starting lineups at their games on Sunday. The shirt has a bear design that was provided by our campus Kihew Waciston Indigenous Centre. The Bear represents strength, family, vitality courage and health. Both teams will also be making a donation to the Indigenous Sports Council of Alberta, and we’ll be encouraging fans to do the same during our game and on stream.
- The Thompson Rivers WolfPack men’s and women’s soccer teams will be wearing orange shirts during warm up and starting lineups at their games on Saturday. Prior to both games there will be a traditional welcome from Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc Elder Leonna (Doe) Thomas, at halftime of both games there will be a showcase by the Sage Hills Drum Group and important messages will be shared over the public address system throughout the game.
- The Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas soccer teams will be wearing orange shirts at their soccer games this weekend.
- On Sept. 28 the UNBC Timberwolves are hosting their annual Nats’ilnik Day. In addition to donning orange shirts during their warmup, the UHNBC Prince George Traditional Drummers are providing pre-game drumming entertainment. Then all eyes will be on Grant West and Tracy Peters during halftime as they demonstrate and share a traditional dance.
- The Regina Cougars women’s soccer team will be wearing orange warmup shirts for their road games at MacEwan and Alberta.
- The Trinity Western Spartans are hosting a pre-season women's basketball tournament, and will be wearing Orange Shirts in warmups.
- The Manitoba Bisons have shared a feature story on Indigenous football linebacker Asun Ducharme, sharing his powerful journey growing up O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation, and how his past has motivated him to be a leader for his community.
- Brandon Bobcats student-athletes will wear orange shirts this weekend and will run their land acknowledgement video prior to every home event in venue this season
- The Winnipeg Wesmen women's soccer team will wear orange shirts before their home games this weekend, including against Lethbridge on Saturday and against Calgary on Sunday. The game on Sunday will feature an Indigenous drummer in lieu of the anthem.
About Canada West
As the leading university athletic conference in the country, Canada West is home to student-athletes that excel in the classroom and their communities. The conference is comprised of 17 member institutions spanning from Victoria to Winnipeg, with over 3,200 student-athletes competing across 14 sports. Canada West’s mission is to train leaders and build champions by providing leadership in the delivery, regulation, and promotion of university level high performance sports programs throughout western Canada.