A metal teepee now stands in front of Riverside Public School. (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Craddock

INSPIRING PROJECT

P.A. School unveils new teepee to promote Truth and Reconciliation

Sep 20, 2023 | 5:05 PM

Hundreds of students at a Prince Albert elementary school celebrated the completion of a project aimed at furthering Truth and Reconciliation.

A metal teepee was installed on the grounds of Riverside Public School with a ceremony commemorating its completion held on Wednesday.

Staff and students were joined by dignitaries from the City of Prince Albert, members of the police service and fire department, and Indigenous Elders to celebrate the new teepee.

The company behind the structure is Metalman Art & Design in Saskatoon. The company specializes in a number of metal projects from park benches to fire pits and signs for businesses and homes.

Perry Gursky is one of the owners of Metalman and spoke after the ceremony about the journey his crew has taken to get the teepee finished.

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Conversations surrounding the project began with Perry, the school and the City of Prince Albert around a year ago. After the plans were finalized, it was only a matter of months before the project became reality and the installation started.

A look at the inside of the new teepee at Riverside Public School (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

Gursky said it was quite the site to see everyone enjoy the finished project.

“You saw all the kids participating and everybody from the city gathering, businesspeople and people from city council. It gives you that proud feeling,” he said.

Principal at Riverside Public School, Leanne Tretiak, said it was emotional for her to see the teepee finally installed and for her school to celebrate. She added its part of the school’s mission to honour the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.

“I believe very deeply that we can no longer ignore where we are in this point in history and where we’ve been in history, that we need to do everything we can to repair relationships and build relationships with each other,” she said.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation comes on Sept. 30. It’s only the third year the stat holiday will be recognized across Canada.

When asked if progress has been made over the past couple of years with Reconciliation, Tretiak said there has and it happens in their school everyday.

“My staff is amazing, students are phenomenal and our parents and guardians, they inspire us to do better and be better each and every day,” she said. “We come forward with this work with open hearts, doing the best that we can to make the world a better place and that’s why we do what we do because our kids are worth it, all kids are worth it.”

Gursky, meanwhile, said he’s been asked to do a number of similar projects across the province as more communities embrace the Calls to Action and make Truth and Reconciliation a priority.

“We’re finally starting to come to terms with some of the no-so-great things that happened in history. Not to re-write history but to learn from it is a bonus.”

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com