It’s more than just a symbolic gesture, it is reconciliation in action. And behind that now increasingly familiar and striking image is a critically important message.
There will be a moment at Princess Auto Stadium this Friday when Manitoba Keewantionowi Okimakanak Grand Chief Garrison Settee glances out at the growing sea of orange at the Winnipeg Blue Bombers home game against the Edmonton Elks — the fourth edition of the club’s now annual Orange Shirt Game — when he will once again be struck by the power and emotion of the moment.
“It’s rewriting the narrative when it comes to our relationship to Canadian society,” began the Grand Chief Monday in conversation with bluebombers.com at a media event detailing this week’s event. “This is an act of reconciliation and is something that brings healing to our lives.
“It’s creating awareness, bringing education and allowing other people to learn about our history. We’re sharing our history. Some of it has been very dark but now we’re changing the narrative; we’re righting some wrongs and working together on something positive while honouring the Indigenous people of this country that has never happened before.
Grand Chief Garrison Settee
“When other people join us by wearing those orange shirts it’s very emotional. It’s also a sense of recognition and validation of who we are as a people. It also gives us a sense of pride on such a big platform after years and years of being suppressed and oppressed we’re being recognized. That’s a big part of reconciliation.
“This is something that’s happening right now and I’m so thankful for that. We’ll have young people coming to this game from all over the north and it’s important for them to see this. Our Residential School survivors and those who didn’t survive are being honoured at a CFL game… that means a lot to us and to me, personally.
“It’s something we didn’t expect but we’re so happy it’s happening.”
And now it’s happening across the entire Canadian Football League as all nine teams will wear Indigenous-designed logos (aside from Calgary, which is on a bye week and previously wore their commemorative logo) during this weekends’ game to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
All the logos — including the Blue Bombers star blanket, designed by Dené Sinclair — were created by local Indigenous artists. All teams will also wear orange jerseys in the pre-game warm-ups, with the jerseys then being auctioned off with the proceeds donated to support local Indigenous groups, organizations or programming.
A year ago, the funds from the auction of Blue Bombers jerseys were donated to Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC) and this year’s edition will see the club will honour the Red River Metis with a jersey patch.
The Blue Bombers, working with Exchange Income Corporation led by CEO Mike Pyle and under the leadership of the club’s Director of Indigenous Relations Niigaan Sinclair, have been at the forefront of putting reconciliation into action. EIC will once again help bring over 1,000 guests from northern communities in the province to Friday’s game, an effort that takes enormous financial and logistical support.
“It just continues to grow every year,” said Blue Bombers President and CEO Wade Miller, saluting Pyle and Sinclair for their efforts in helping guide the club in this and other initiatives. “We’ll have a sell out by (Tuesday) and this is the only time every year where you’re good seeing orange in our stadium. Every year it seems to grow, not just with kids and their families that come as part of the EIC group, but our other fans are wearing orange with our star-blanket logo that’s being incorporated (on the helmet).
“All the other teams are being extremely supportive. B.C. has also been on the front foot in leading this for years and it’s pretty special to see how this has grown across the league, and you just saw today all the different logos that have been inspired and crafted by local artists in each of the communities.
“We want to be authentic in that and take action and we believe we have,” added Miller. “We were the first professional team in North America to have a land acknowledgement before every game and that’s part of it. The Orange Shirt Game is the next step forward and having partners like EIC and take their leadership makes it easy for us to be a part of that and help it grow.”
Exchange Income Corporation CEO Mike Pyle
“This means a lot to our people,” said Settee. “I cannot put into words how much it means to our people to recognize and remember our missing children and Residential School survivors. It brings healing to us when people support us and as we move on in our healing journey this is a very significant part of that. Reconciliation is not just a word; it is action and that’s what EIC and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have done.
“They’ve helped us move on by recognizing us on this very special day.”