The National Aboriginal Day celebration in Estevan on Wednesday was not only a chance to recognize the contributions of indigenous people to this country, but it was also a chance to generate awareness of the issues they are facing.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 5999, which represents employees with the Sun Country Health Region, hosted the event at Centennial Park. A large crowd gathered to watch the entertainment on display and to enjoy a free barbecue lunch.
Wanda Edwards, who is the vice-president for CUPE Local 5999, and Jody Gosselin, who is the chair of their aboriginal council, said they have an active aboriginal council, and so they wanted to host this event.
“It’s very exciting that we’re having this event here, because I think this community has to be involved in our aboriginal awareness for this area,” said Gosselin. “It’s fantastic that we can have this here, and people from the community can join us.”
It’s the first time they have held such an event in Estevan. They hosted something previously in Weyburn.
“It’s the first time that we’ve had it in a number of years,” said Edwards.
Traditional dancers came from the three reserves – the Ocean Man First Nation, the Pheasant Rump Nakota Nation and the White Bear First Nation – that fall within CUPE Local 5999’s territory. They also had a hoop dancer, Terrance Littletent, from the Kawacatoose First Nation.
Edwards and Gosselin lauded the entertainment that was on display throughout the event.
One initiative they were creating awareness of is the Red Dress Campaign, which is a CUPE nationwide effort to collect red dresses for missing and murdered indigenous women.
They hope to collect 1,200 dresses, which represents the number of documented missing and murdered indigenous girls and women in Canada.
“The number of missing and murdered is well over 3,000 to 4,000,” said Jodi Gosselin. “The 1,200 dresses will go to Toronto for our national convention, and they will be displayed at the city of Toronto at the convention.”
Those dresses are to be displayed on Oct. 4, which is traditionally the date of the vigil for missing and murdered indigenous women.
Edwards said they have already collected more than 50 dresses in the southeast.
The other project that they are promoting is the Moon Time Sisters, which was started by a woman in northern Saskatchewan.
“She wants to collect sanitary products for girls in the north who can’t go to school because they don’t have the proper sanitary products,” said Gosselin. “We’re taking as many donations as we can, and then we’ll see they get to the foundation so they can be allocated to the proper places.”
Edwards said the City of Estevan, the different First Nations, Affinity Credit Union, Southeast Newcomer Services and CUPE Saskatchewan all played a big role in the success of the event. Pheasant Rump brought in the teepees, the animal skins, the bannock and other items.
