(Denise Blomquist/Facebook)

By Rachel May

national day of truth and reconciliation

Nipawin Reconciliation unveils new display ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Sep 28, 2023 | 12:15 PM

Reconciliation Nipawin has put a permanent reminder of the path towards truth and reconciliation.

A medicine wheel has been placed at the Nipawin Hydroelectric Station which honours 7,500 years of history at the site, the treaty land in the northeast and the teaching of the medicine wheel.

The four aspects of the display are an area describing the significance of the wheel, an acknowledgement of Treaty 6 lands, the artifacts found at the site by archaeologists and a timeline of events.

An event unveiling the medicine wheel featured an honour song sung by Trevor Cheekinew and Hume Mirasty. Sharon Meyere joined the event to teach about the medicine wheel. Students at Wagner School did a hoop dance.

Reconciliation Nipawin’s Denise Blomquist told northeastNOW that the planning process for this started in 2018.

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“We started with history. We started talking to archeologists who did the digs at the Nipawin Hydroelectric Station before the dam was built.”

By contacting the University of Saskatchewan who carried out the dig, they discovered the articles and a timeline of the area.

With 5,000 years of Indigenous history now at the group’s fingertips, Blomquist explained they began figuring out how they wanted to share this history.

“We wanted to somehow make that into something that we could display. We had the idea to contact SaskPower and see if they wanted to partner with us.”

SaskPower not only partnered with the group but paid for the sign.

Blomquist said that this project is another step toward the continuous work that the group has planned and will continue to do in the future.

“We just wanted to bring attention to the ongoing legacy and make sure people have access to participate in reconciliation.”

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Rachel.May@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RachelMayFM