Pikwakanagan – It was a sea of orange Monday as community members, young and old and some pushed in strollers, travelled from the bridge at the foot of Golden Lake to the cultural grounds to mark The National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

The fourth annual day of Truth and Reconciliation had a full agenda at Pikwakanagan. Upon reaching the cultural grounds – also the location of the annual Pow Wow – Chief Greg Sarazin addressed the gathering, noting all across Turtle Island events were being held to honour those children who were stolen and taken away from their homes, their families, their culture and their people and taken to Residential Schools.

“We honour those who never made it home, and we honour those who did make it home, those who survived,” he said.

Noting it is the Day of Truth and Reconciliation, he said he wanted to acknowledge the truth so people can remember what needs to be reconciled.

“When European cultures first came up the mighty Kichessippi River into our Algonquin homelands in the 1600s, the Algonquin Nation was here, occupying and defending our homelands, where we have been since time immemorial,” he said.

Since their arrival, successive government policies have been imposed upon the Algonquin Nation, designed to assimilate them, he said.

“The reserve system was established to get Indians off the land, out of our territory and to collect us all into one location where we would be assimilated and eventually disappear as a people and as a nation,” he said. “That didn’t work. Having our First Nation provided the opportunity for us to maintain important aspects of our culture, of our sense of community and our identification as the Algonquin Nation.”

He said there have been many challenges since, acknowledging the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and the 60s scoop survivors who were taken from their families.

“I want to acknowledge all of our First Nation Residential school victims, like my childhood friend, my Uncle Joey Commanda, who never made it home,” he said. “He died while escaping from that residential school. He was only 13.”

He said he also acknowledged the survivors who did make it home, like Joey’s brother Rocky, and whose lives were forever changed.

“The truth is that overall, despite the challenges and the hardship we have endured as a people, those policies have failed,” he said. “We are still here today in 2024 and we will continue to be here for the next seven generations and beyond.”

Chief Sarazin said the Algonquin homelands remain unceded and unsurrendered and the families and traditions are thriving.

He said the day is about truth, both about the past and the future.

“And for Pikwakanagan, our future looks bright as our people continue to reclaim our culture and as our youth continue to lead the way,” Chief Sarazin said.

Other events during the day included lunch, a gust speaker and invitations to participate in Eagle Fan Brush Downs and an optional sharing circle.