Colonel Dan Coutts, commander of 15 Wing Moose Jaw, presided over a ceremony on September 29 in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, gathering Canadian Forces members and employees for a morning ceremony as the Survivors' flag was raised high.
The design of the Survivors' flag was co-ordinated by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Residential school survivors from across Canada contributed to its multiple meanings, and each element of the flag has deep symbolism. The Treaty 4 flag and Métis flag were raised alongside it.
Learn more about the flag and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation at nctr.ca/exhibits/survivors-flag.
"I thought it was important to start with the acknowledgement of the Treaty 4 nature of the base and where we're situated, on the traditional homelands of the Cree, the Ojibway, Saulteaux, Dakota, Nakota, Lakota, and the Métis First Nations," Col. Coutts said following the ceremony, "just to highlight that this day of solemn commemoration is to recognize our colonial history of children being taken away from their land and their families for the project of assimilation and really, frankly, destroying First Nations cultures."
Coutts was accompanied by 15 Wing Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Rachel Fox, who is also the Champion of 15 Wing Defence Indigenous Advisory Group, and by Lieutenant-Navy A.S. Klinger, Chair of the 15 Wing Defence Indigenous Advisory Group.
Daniele Porter is an employee of the Department of National Defence and works on base as the Wing General Safety Co-ordinator. She and her husband both have Indigenous heritage, and they appreciate the military and DND acknowledging the harms of the past. Porter attended the ceremony with her two sons.
"I am native on my side from my mother, who is Qalipu Mi'kmaq, from Newfoundland, and my husband is Ojibwe from Manitoulin Island," Porter explained. "I think raising these flags is a step forward to truth and reconciliation and joining together the government and Indigenous peoples. It's been very difficult, because of the past and the things that have happened between governments and Indigenous people, but Indigenous people have always served in the military, so it's nice to see that recognition now.
"There have been mistakes, but we're trying to make things better. You know, there have been images of inappropriate cultural representation in the military, and we've come so far that they're taking those images down and re-naming squadrons, and things like that are all steps forward."
"It's important to commemorate this day, not only to make sure nothing like it happens again, but also to acknowledge the truth of what happened," Coutts said, "and to continue that process where we can, as allies in reconciliation.
"We're paying homage here today to that sad and tragic history, and I encourage our folks and certainly anyone else associated with Moose Jaw and the 15 Wing community, as we approach the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to contemplate what it means. It's not an old history — it's a recent history. You know, the last residential school in Saskatchewan only closed in 1996. So, it's not something that's over, it's affecting multiple generations today who carry intergenerational scars."
In response to some providers blocking access to Canadian news on their platforms, our website, MooseJawToday.com will continue to be your source for hyper-local Moose Jaw news. Bookmark MooseJawToday.com and sign up for our free online newsletter to read the latest local developments.
