Okotoks is honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation with facility closures as it continues to work with First Nations people to acknowledge sites of significance in town.
The federal government has declared Sept. 30 as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, a new statutory day on the Canadian calendar, with provincial and municipal governments left to determine how they would recognize the day.
The Alberta government encourages reflection and will lower flags, but has left implementation of the statutory day to employers.
In Okotoks, Town facilities including the Municipal Centre, Okotoks Art Gallery, Operation Centre, Eco Centre, and Family Resource Centre, will be closed to the public on Sept. 30. The Okotoks Recreation Centre and Pason Centennial Arenas will remain open, and waste collection will proceed as scheduled.
“We wanted as many staff as possible to be able to take the day, reflect on truth and reconciliation and what it means to the past, present and future,” said Janette Messer, programs and culture/heritage manager. “The Town of Okotoks decided it was the right thing to do.”
At the Aug. 16 council meeting, Jeff Greene, director of community growth and sustainability, provided a report on activities being pursued by the Town to work with indigenous people.
He said council’s strategic plan for 2018-2021 has included an initiative to align services and programs with best practice and welcome inclusive communities and the Truth and Reconciliation document developed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada in 2008 reported on longstanding issues of residential schools and some of the trauma that was caused as a result of the residential school system in Canada,” said Greene.
A two-volume report was produced, one of which was called the 94 Calls to Action, he said. Of those calls to action, about 12 spoke specifically to what municipalities can do in terms of reconciliation.
“With that in mind we started working recently with indigenous residents inside the Town of Okotoks, but we’ve also reached out and initiated dialogue with all five of the First Nations in southern Alberta.”
Those talks have included members of the Tsuu’Tina, Stoney Nakoda and Blackfoot Confederacy, consisting of Kainai, Siksika and Piikani nations, he said.
The Town is also working with Arrow Archaeology, a consulting firm based in Coaldale, to identified sites of significance.
In June, Town administration, Deputy Mayor Matt Rockley and representatives of the five First Nations, including elders, toured Okotoks, he said.
“We spent time at the Arts and Learning Campus, there was a gift of tobacco, there were prayers and a moment of silence for the children lost to the residential schools,” said Greene.
The tour also went through the Bible camp lands, along the Sheep River east of Riverside Park, which are currently under review with a master plan in the works for the future use of the site.
Afterward, the group traveled along the routing for the Foothills-Okotoks water pipeline, which included a stop at the Dunbow Industrial School site where it is known 73 children died and were buried of the 430 enrolled.
“Then we spent some time at the intake location at the confluence of the Bow River and the Highwood River, where the nations identified that was likely a summer camp site and so has some important indigenous history to it,” said Greene.
Arrow Archaeology is now undertaking an assessment of the entire Town of Okotoks that will look at traditional resources, knowledge of ceremonial and medicinal plants, and specific histories and stories of the landscapes that provide cultural value, he said.
A site-specific review of the D’Arcy Ranch homestead site is underway as it has been identified as an important historical site for trade routes, hunting and settlement, he said.
The Town is also looking for local indigenous residents to form an advisory committee as it undertakes work with acknowledgement and reconciliation.
“We are hoping we have representation from the Métis, as well as from a number of the indigenous groups here,” said Susan Laurin, director of community health and safety.
She said they would like to have between 10 and 20 community members and equal representation from all groups to ensure all voices are heard.
