Green is the colour, like the song says, but members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders are proudly wearing orange this weekend.
They are observing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — which honours Indigenous children who never returned home from residential schools, survivors of residential schools, and their families and communities.
On Friday night, the Roughriders took part in a CFL-wide initiative by wearing orange jerseys for warmups, prior to donning the traditional green garb and facing the B.C. Lions in Vancouver.
“The orange jerseys act as a small symbol of our unwavering dedication to Reconciliation in the province,” Roughriders President-CEO Craig Reynolds said.
“On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we will reflect on our past but also envision a future where our actions as allies with Indigenous communities reflect genuine understanding, respect and collaboration.”
Sept. 30 — Orange Shirt Day — has been a national statutory holiday since 2021.
To expand the Roughriders staff’s knowledge and appreciation of Canada’s Indigenous heritage, a special event was held on Friday morning at Mosaic Stadium.
Employees attended a two-hour presentation that provided background and context regarding Indigenous culture and the evolution of Orange Shirt Day.
The presenters were Reila Bird and her daughter, Juleah Duesing-Bird, both of George Gordon First Nation.
Reila, a member of the Roughriders’ Indigenous Advisory Group, is the Director of the Indigenous Continuing Education Centre (ICEC) at the First Nations University of Canada.
Juleah, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Indigenous Environmental Science at the FNUC, is a member of the University of Regina Cougars track and field team.
Friday’s function was reflective of the team’s commitment toward the ongoing education of staff members, players and coaches, the importance of Truth and Reconciliation being a foundational element.
“That’s something that is really important to the Club and something that we’re working really hard at, under the advice of our Indigenous Advisory Group,” Reynolds noted.
“The Group has given us outstanding advice from Day 1 around where the Club can or should focus its effort to make the most meaningful impact.
“They encouraged us to focus on the Calls to Action that we could make an impact on, based on sports and Reconciliation. They’ve given us advice on Indigenous language and Indigenous culture.
“As an organization, we’re really proud of the work we’ve done in all those areas. I’m really proud of the way the staff has embraced the learning element of Truth and Reconciliation — learning about the past, learning about Indigenous cultures, and really embracing being active in that learning.”
The Indigenous Advisory Group was formed in January of 2021.
“I think it’s really important that we’re speaking with Indigenous leaders and those who can guide you and who you can learn from,” Reynolds said.
“The most important thing for the organization was not to presume that we had any path forward on our own without being guided and without learning from Indigenous leaders in Saskatchewan around where the Roughriders have a responsibility or should be involved and how we can be most helpful in all the Truth and Reconciliation causes.”
The Club and the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, of which Reynolds is the Board Chair, actively focus on Calls to Action numbers 87-92 and 14i, as outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Report. Therein, sports and business are emphasized within the context of Reconciliation.
“There has been a lot of learning around how the Club, being a professional sports organization and being a community-owned team representing the province, can make a meaningful impact on Truth and Reconciliation, and particularly with the Calls to Action that we’ve focused in on,” Reynolds said.
“The biggest learning for us was (Indigenous leaders’) guidance around, ‘You have to be focused here. You have to focus on areas where you can make an impact.’
“When we did that and we started looking at what the Calls to Action actually were, we quickly narrowed in on areas where we could make a meaningful impact, and that’s around preserving Indigenous cultures and language.”
For example, the Roughriders have translated their wordmarks into Cree.
On July 15, the team held its second annual kisiskaciwan Game, around which Indigenous culture was showcased and celebrated. Shortly before the Roughriders opposed the Calgary Stampeders, the starting lineups were announced in Cree at Mosaic Stadium.
As well, the Roughriders have partnered with the North Saskatchewan Football League, providing funding and coaching.
“Grow the Game” camps have been held for the purpose of engaging Indigenous youth in football.
Community barbecues and Christmas dinners have been organized in conjunction with organizations that serve Indigenous communities in Regina and Saskatoon.
The team has also been well-represented at powwows and cultural events in Indigenous communities. For example, several employees of the Roughriders and the Foundation are travelling to Saskatoon for Saturday’s powwow at the SaskTel Centre.
To provide further support, proceeds from the Foundation’s Orange Jersey Raffle will provide funding to assist sports programs and special events in Indigenous communities.
Concerted efforts are also being made to enhance the profile of Indigenous communities and their citizens.
“There are several Calls to Action around sports, highlighting Indigenous athletes,” Reynolds said. “We’ve done that with Neal Hughes, who’s Metis, and Mason Fine, who’s from the Cherokee Nation.
“We’re telling their stories and highlighting our Indigenous athletes who have been part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, past and present.
“Where we’ve been guided is to focus in on areas where we think we can actually make an impact. I think that’s the most important piece.”
Also of note is the first Indigenous appointee to the Roughriders’ Board of Directors.
Edmund Bellegarde — a former Chief of the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council — joined the Board on June 21, when the team’s Annual General Meeting was held.
“It’s important to have varied perspectives,” Reynolds said. “It’s really important to have Indigenous perspectives in the organization. That’s why we have the Indigenous Advisory Group.
“Edmund, on top of being a very accomplished executive and professional and someone who provides excellent governance expertise and leadership, does offer an Indigenous perspective and I think it is extremely valuable for us to have that at the highest level.”
The value of listening has also been accentuated.
“We’ve had to deal with difficult situations, such as the discovery of the mass grave at Cowessess First Nation,” Reynolds recalled.
“We reached out to (Chief) Cadmus (Delorme) and we reached out to Indigenous leaders and we asked them for guidance. We said, ‘We want to help, but we want you to guide us on it. We don’t want to presume that we know the answers.’
“That’s one thing that I think, as an organization, we’ve become much, much better at. We’re not presuming we know how to tackle an issue or how we can best help. We let the people who are closer to the issue really guide us.”
